BJP eyeing poll-to-poll campaign, Amit Shah to reach Jabalpur

BHOPAL: BJP chief Amit Shah is aiming for a seamless campaign from the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls to the 2019 Lok Sabha election so that there is no slackening of momentum, say sources in the party.
Shah, who was in Chhattisgarh on Monday is visiting Jabalpur on Tuesday, and has included three new members in the state election management committee to work out an arrangement with regional leaders as part of the larger plan.“As of now, Amit ji will meet members of election management committee on his one-day tour to Jabalpur. The committee has three new members — state joint general secretary (organisation) Atul Rai, vice president Vijesh Lunawat and Vinod Gotia. The meeting of core group members has been postponed, though,” said a senior state functionary.
BJP sources say that as part of the ‘Samvad Karyakram’ initiated across the country, Shah will meet two retired judges — former head of MP Lokayukta, P P Navlekar, and former chairman of MP Human Rights Commission, Justice D D Dharmadhikari. He will be accompanied by state in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and convener of state election management committee Narendra Singh Tomar.
“The joint meeting for assembly and Lok Sabha preparations will finalise the roadmap for 2019. Since the assembly poll results will have a direct impact on Lok Sabha polls, the party president has chalked out a series of programmes to be executed from July 2018 to May 2019,” said a senior leader. Sources said that state leadership is concerned by ground reports that don’t seem conducive to the ruling party despite the popularity of individual leaders.
The BJP chief will also take feedback on farmers’ agitation in the state. “There is only one agenda — meeting with the state election management committee. Nothing else. Amit ji’s visit will boost morale of party workers and strengthen poll preparations. He will leave for New Delhi in the evening,” BJP state general secretary Vishnu Dutt Sharma told TOI.