Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief CR Patil, thrice an MP from Navsari, has been handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to oversee the party preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in key states, including Uttar Pradesh. He was recognised by the PM for playing a vital role in micro-managing PM Modi's home constituency, Varanasi.
Patil is most likely to be made in-charge of Uttar Pradesh with the nod of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, indicated party sources. The Gujarat BJP incharge has an impressive track record in Gujarat, where he is credited with securing a historic 156 out of 182 Assembly seats and increasing the BJP's vote share from 49 to 53 per cent.
PM Modi was all praise for CR Patil
PM Modi had himself praised Patil and urged the BJP leaders and MPs to adopt the "Patil Model" for devising the electoral strategy in other states. Following Modi's discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh, a decision was taken to assign the task to Patil not only for UP but in several important states like Madhya Pradesh, Hayana, Rajasthan, Telangana and Odisha. Patil may also become part of the top-level committee and given a ministerial post at the Centre for movements to handle the party's campaign.
2024 Elections strategy
In preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party has made national general secretary Sunil Bansal as the head of is month-long outreach campaign, "Maha Jansampark Abhiyan", to create awareness of the voters about the benefits of the PM's flagship schemes. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur is to assume additional organisational and electoral resposibilities in the state.
Former state ministers Shrikant Sharma and Sidharth Nath Singh, who were earlier managing the party's media in the national headquarters, are also expected to be entrusted important role in UP where the BJP has set an ambitious target of winning 75 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats as against 62 seats secured in 2019.
BJP mulling changes in other state units too
The BJP is also contemplating the organisational changes in other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana and Odisha. The party is also exploring the revamp of its units in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Karnataka.
Fight for Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP faces a formidable challenge from Congress and former Congress chief minister Kamal Nath, the leadership plans a major organisational reshuffle under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Union Minister Pralhad Singh Patel is being considered for elevation as the BJP head of Madhya Pradesh unit since incumbent VD Sharma lacks a strong rapport with the chief minister. Also, Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar may be reassigned to a national role as part of the strategic realignment.
