Sources tell ET that, in the initial stage, Chaudhary has asked party leaders to focus on 61 assembly seats, it couldn’t win in last three assembly elections of 2012, 2017 and 2022.
Firstly, fact-finding will take place and then a strategy will be worked out on how the party can capitalise on its cadre resources for these seats. Out of the 61 seats, a maximum of 22 seats fall in the Eastern UP region in districts such as Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Mirzapur. Around 13 seats fall in the West UP region in Saharanpur, Moradabad and Bijnor.
In the 2022 assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party won 27 out of the 35 seats in these two regions.
However, the BJP has won a few seats like Suar, Rampur and Kundarki in subsequent by-polls.
Also, out of remaining eight seats in these two regions, three went to SP ally SBSP, two went to BJP ally Apna Dal and Nishad Party each, and one went to BSP.
SBSP is now an ally of the BJP, and its leader Om Prakash Rajbhar is a minister in the Yogi government.BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary is also focusing on energising the booth-level workers ahead of the elections. Choudhary has mandated monthly meetings right from the booth to the district level. Booth-level workers will conduct a meeting every month after listening to PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program and update the party leadership on developments. The booth workers will also visit households to see if they are receiving the benefits of government schemes and offer help accordingly.
The state currently does not have a full-time party in-charge. Sources tell ET that a reshuffle in the national office bearers team under Nitin Nabin is set to happen any time in the coming week, after which a state in-charge will be appointed.
