BJP looks to revamp party, finalise electoral strategy before key polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is putting the finishing touches to a plan that it will launch in July to strengthen the party organisation, which could see some cabinet ministers in the government moving to organisational posts (a change that would necessitate a cabinet reshuffle), and to finalise its campaign strategy and refine its candidate selection process ahead of the five state elections later this year and the national elections next year.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a meeting of the council of ministers on July 3.

According to a party functionary who asked not to be named, three big meetings between the central leadership of the BJP and state-level functionaries have been scheduled for July 6, 7 and 8, where changes in the organisation at the central level and the state will be decided. This person added that meetings between the party brass – BJP president JP Nadda, Union home minister Amit Shah, national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh – and state leaders that took place in the national capital over the past one month were a precursor to these.

“These meetings will be crucial for (finalising) organisational changes, assessing the performance of lawmakers, legislators and party functionaries for the process of candidate selection and identifying state-specific issues on which the campaign will be mounted,” the functionary said.