After conquering Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has now turned its attention to the big eastern states: West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. Party president Amit Shah is developing strategies in each state that he hopes will establish the BJP as a serious competitor for power.
The BJP believes that winning West Bengal – which is currently ruled by the Trinamool Congress – will be its gateway to the eastern states. Though state elections are still close to two years away, the BJP will launch its campaign for West Bengal on September 6 with a rally by Shah in the town of Siliguri.
Shah has already set out a game plan for party workers. He has directed them to gain the trust of voters by forming committees, organising cultural events in a grand manner, pressing for local media coverage and holding public grievances meetings.
The party is taking heart from the fact that it had been in a slump in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar before the Lok Sabha election but managed to pull off a convincing victory despite this, a senior BJP leader told Scroll.in. Similarly, achieving a breakthrough in either West Bengal or Assam is among Shah's priorities, even though “our party apparatus is weak in this region, barring a few constituencies", this leader said.
Blurred Lines
Just as in Haryana, one of the main strategies of the party in West Bengal is to woo leaders of other parties who have a great deal of localised clout. Last month, several leaders of the Yuva League of the Forward Bloc joined the BJP since they were disillusioned with their organisation. The Left party took a drubbing during the last state elections and the recent Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP is also trying to win over members of minority communities. Already, the party claims that its Muslim membership in West Bengal has doubled in recent months. In January, it had approximately 30,000 Muslim members. On June 20, the number had increased to 60,172. “Most of the new minority community members have joined after the Lok Sabha results were declared,” said state BJP president Rahul Sinha.
While Muslims form 25%-30% of the voters in West Bengal, they constitute 42% of the population in 140 of the state's 341 developmental blocks. “We have been reaching out to the Muslim population and explaining them that we are not an un-secular or anti-Muslim party,” Sinha said.
Sporting chance
The BJP is also organising camps across the state to help sports clubs at the district and zonal level. While chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s government provides financial assistance to these clubs, the BJP is happy to supply them with equipment, gear and accessories.
“Financial assistance often leads to corruption and the players never end up getting the necessary equipment for training and competition,” Sinha explained.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earmarked Rs 2,000 crore to improve sports infrastructure across the country. According to party officials, West Bengal is at the top of the sports’ priority list for BJP, followed by Assam.
Assam plan
With its recent, rather unexpected, success in Assam, the BJP is working to make deeper inroads in the state. In the recent Lok Sabha election, the party won seven of the state's 14 seats.
According to a senior BJP leader, the party aims to establish itself as an alternative to the Congress, which is probably at its weakest point following the rout in the general elections.
The BJP is strengthening existing ties and building fresh ones with Assam's tribal leaders, especially the powerful men who control the tea estates. The party has already had first-round meetings with 26 tribal leaders.
At the end of June, the Bodoland Peoples' Front broke its eight-year alliance with the Congress and withdrew its ministers from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s government. While, it has not openly allied with the BJP, leaders of both parties have held secret meetings to discuss this possibility, officials confirmed. This association could be fruitful – even vital – for the BJP's prospects in Assam.
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The BJP believes that winning West Bengal – which is currently ruled by the Trinamool Congress – will be its gateway to the eastern states. Though state elections are still close to two years away, the BJP will launch its campaign for West Bengal on September 6 with a rally by Shah in the town of Siliguri.
Shah has already set out a game plan for party workers. He has directed them to gain the trust of voters by forming committees, organising cultural events in a grand manner, pressing for local media coverage and holding public grievances meetings.
The party is taking heart from the fact that it had been in a slump in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar before the Lok Sabha election but managed to pull off a convincing victory despite this, a senior BJP leader told Scroll.in. Similarly, achieving a breakthrough in either West Bengal or Assam is among Shah's priorities, even though “our party apparatus is weak in this region, barring a few constituencies", this leader said.
Blurred Lines
Just as in Haryana, one of the main strategies of the party in West Bengal is to woo leaders of other parties who have a great deal of localised clout. Last month, several leaders of the Yuva League of the Forward Bloc joined the BJP since they were disillusioned with their organisation. The Left party took a drubbing during the last state elections and the recent Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP is also trying to win over members of minority communities. Already, the party claims that its Muslim membership in West Bengal has doubled in recent months. In January, it had approximately 30,000 Muslim members. On June 20, the number had increased to 60,172. “Most of the new minority community members have joined after the Lok Sabha results were declared,” said state BJP president Rahul Sinha.
While Muslims form 25%-30% of the voters in West Bengal, they constitute 42% of the population in 140 of the state's 341 developmental blocks. “We have been reaching out to the Muslim population and explaining them that we are not an un-secular or anti-Muslim party,” Sinha said.
Sporting chance
The BJP is also organising camps across the state to help sports clubs at the district and zonal level. While chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s government provides financial assistance to these clubs, the BJP is happy to supply them with equipment, gear and accessories.
“Financial assistance often leads to corruption and the players never end up getting the necessary equipment for training and competition,” Sinha explained.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earmarked Rs 2,000 crore to improve sports infrastructure across the country. According to party officials, West Bengal is at the top of the sports’ priority list for BJP, followed by Assam.
Assam plan
With its recent, rather unexpected, success in Assam, the BJP is working to make deeper inroads in the state. In the recent Lok Sabha election, the party won seven of the state's 14 seats.
According to a senior BJP leader, the party aims to establish itself as an alternative to the Congress, which is probably at its weakest point following the rout in the general elections.
The BJP is strengthening existing ties and building fresh ones with Assam's tribal leaders, especially the powerful men who control the tea estates. The party has already had first-round meetings with 26 tribal leaders.
At the end of June, the Bodoland Peoples' Front broke its eight-year alliance with the Congress and withdrew its ministers from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s government. While, it has not openly allied with the BJP, leaders of both parties have held secret meetings to discuss this possibility, officials confirmed. This association could be fruitful – even vital – for the BJP's prospects in Assam.