Exodus In Congress Is BJP’s Strategy To Increase Vote Share By 10 Percent
The uncurbed exodus in Congress in Madhya Pradesh, engineered by BJP, is a part of the meticulously planned strategy by the saffron party to achieve its ambitious target of boosting its vote share by ten percent to 58 in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the state, sources disclosed to this newspaper on Thursday.
The party has constituted teams at the state and district levels to woo the leaders and workers of the Congress to weaken its bases in the respective areas as part of the strategy.
“Congress is a leader-based, not cadre-based party. Hence, if the party loses a leader, then it loses the pocket of influence, enjoyed by the particular leader, weakening the party in the area”, state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal told this newspaper on Thursday.
At the state level, the new joining unit headed by former minister Narottam Mishra, has been created and similar bodies have also been constituted at the district level for the purpose.
“Three parameters have been set for roping in ‘people who count’ including political leaders particularly from Congress to join the BJP.
They should be opinion makers, political leaders of standing, and leaders who have sway over the key section of voters, such as scheduled tribe, scheduled caste, women, and other categories of people”, a senior BJP leader has revealed, requesting not to be quoted.
The ‘poaching’ of leaders and workers of Congress will not only transfer the committed votes of Congress to BJP but also weaken the grand old party in its stronghold, he added.
“We have been able to induct 2,58,552 new entrants who included leaders from other parties, NGO people, government officers and intellectuals in BJP in the last three months. Besides, the party has inducted 1,26,000 new entrants belonging to these categories of people on the foundation day of the party on Saturday”, the new joining team coordinator and former minister Narottam Mishra told this newspaper.
Ninety percent of these new entrants are from Congress, he added.
They included two sitting Congress MLAs, 13 former MLAs, three former MPs, several sitting and former mayors of various municipal corporations and elected representatives of both rural and urban local bodies.
Congress will not be able to find polling agents in many villages following the unprecedented exodus in the party, he added.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari however dubbed party deserters as ‘garbage’ of the party and good riddance for the party.
A senior BJP leader has however termed the argument as a ‘sign of political immaturity’.
“Induction of even one Congress activist will fetch at least five assured committed votes of Congress since it is expected that the party activist and his family members, roughly five, may now vote for BJP, instead of Congress”, state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said.
The induction of at least two lakh Congress workers and leaders will thus fetch at least ten lakh committed votes of Congress for BJP in the ensuing LS polls, he contended.
Besides, the exodus in Congress will set a strong narrative of a ‘disintegrating Congress’ ahead of the April-May LS polls, helping BJP harvest four-five percent swing votes in the polls.
The strategy will thus help BJP achieve its target of increasing its vote share by ten percent in the coming general LS polls over the 2019 polls.
