Jaipur: The BJP’s central leadership took the reins of the party’s preparations for upcoming Panchayat Raj and urban local body polls in the state Monday, with senior leaders from Delhi coming down to play a direct role in poll management. Party insiders said this is the first time that a central team has been dispatched to manage local body polls in the state.The team participated in a marathon meeting at BJP state headquarters in the city to chalk out the party’s strategy and organisational preparations for the grassroots-level polls.Along with chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, state in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Madan Rathore, state organisation general secretary Ajay, local body election in-charge and national general secretary Harish Dwivedi, national general secretary and MP Gajendra Singh Patel, national secretary and MP Sangeeta Yadav, national secretary Rohan Gupta, Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Delhi minister Ravinder Indraj Singh attended the meeting.Members of the party’s divisional election teams, manifesto team and divisional in-charges and co-in-charges were also present.“The active involvement of the BJP’s central team has made it clear that the party is not treating these as minor elections, but as a major test of its organisational strength and political influence,” a senior BJP functionary said.Addressing the media after the meeting, BJP state president Rathore said, “The party organisation is always ready for elections at all times. The BJP had completed preparations all the way up to the booth level for upcoming local body polls, and our workers are ready to enter the electoral fray with full strength.”He added that those who had influence among voters at the local level, were committed to the organisation and enjoyed public trust would be given the opportunity to contest the polls.“No form of nepotism, bias or personal pressure will be accepted in candidate selection. Candidates will be chosen according to public aspirations and their ability to win,” Rathore said.A senior party functionary who attended the meeting said, “The BJP is in a strong position in the local body elections and is moving forward to win the elections by strengthening its connect with young voters, including Gen Z.”Expressing confidence in the party’s victory in the elections, CM Sharma said, “After the double-engine government, Rajasthan will now have a triple-engine government.”
