Modi to mark 9 years of rule with Bihar visit

A year ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP seems on its mark. The party has planned four rallies in Bihar with Prime Minister Modi being expected to visit the state to mark the completion of nine years of the party rule at the Centre.

The proposed rallies are seen as part of the BJP’s strategy to consolidate and expand its support base in the state ahead of the 2024 elections. Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats. Of them, 39 were held by the NDA when Nitish was part of it. Aware of its challenges in the backdrop of Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) snapping its ties with it in August last year, the party wants to take the lead in the poll preparations for an effective battle against the Grand Alliance, a conglomerate of seven parties including RJD, JD (U), Congress and Left parties.

The party recently admitted a few Opposition leaders, yet it has not many dependable allies. The BJP has also planned a month-long mass contact programme in which several senior party leaders will participate. The party’s top leadership has identified eight seats from where they have to focus during preparations for elections.

“The list of those Lok Sabha constituencies was submitted by the state unit of the party,” said a party office-bearer. The party has already prepared a roadmap for its massive mass contact programme. Under it, senior BJP leaders will hold discussions with workers at the assembly constituency level on June 7 and 8. It will also hold joint meetings of the party’s various cells on June 12, 13 and 14. Similarly, a ‘Labhaarthi Sammelan’’ (beneficiaries’ conferences) are proposed between June 15 and 20.

The party is also expected to observe International Yoga Day in Bihar on June 21. Party leaders will also meet social media influencers at the Lok Sabha constituency level to improve the party’s reach among the voters. On Tuesday, a meeting of the working committee was held in Nalanda, which was attended by former Union minister and Nitish’s bete noire RCP Singh.