VARANASI: BJP president Amit Shah will address over 28,000 booth level unit presidents and other office-bearers of east UP at TD College ground in Jaunpur on Friday in a bid to galvanise the party’s Kashi Prant unit ahead of Lok Sabha elections.Formation of Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance and induction of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by the Congress has increased the challenge for BJP, which along with its alliance partner Apna Dal (Sonelal) had given a spectacular performance in the state in 2014 elections.Though BJP leaders are still confident to repeating their 2014 performance — the party had won 13 of the 14 seats in Kashi Prant — under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the fast changing equations following SP-BSP alliance formation has left the party cadres worried. Thus, Friday’s interaction between Shah and BJP cadres of the region is being considered to be a crucial development.Kashi regional unit president Mahesh Chandra Srivastava admitted that the party high command has made it mandatory for the 28,177 booth level committee presidents to attend the proposed meeting with Shah at TD College ground on Friday afternoon.“The district, divisional and regional unit office-bearers have also been invited at the meeting due to which total participation in the event can go above 40,000. But all focus is on ensuring cent percent participation of booth level presidents,” he added.Apart from Shah, party’s UP in-charge JP Nadda and chief minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey, deputy chief ministers Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya will also address the party cadres. Party office-bearers feel that Shah will not only share the party’s poll strategy, but will also seek feedback from the participants.Srivastava said, “The party is geared up to ensure participation of all booth level presidents in Shah’s proposed meeting. On February 3, Maurya addressed 1,264 sector conveners of three LS seats in Mirzapur division and asked them to gear up the preparations for the coming LS elections by staying in field and among workers of their respective units.”“Earlier, a meeting of 2,000 sector conveners of five LS seats of Varanasi division had been conducted in Chandauli on January 28. Similar meetings for 3,000 sector conveners of six LS seats of Allahabad division had been conducted at Kumbh grounds in Prayagraj on January 31,” he added.In 2014 general elections, BJP had won 13 of Kashi Prant’s 14 seats and conceded only Amethi to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. However, in 2009, BJP could secure only Varanasi. SP had bagged Ghazipur, Chandauli, Machhlishehr (reserved), Mirzapur, Robertsganj (reserved), Allahabad and Kaushambi seats while Bhadohi, Jaunpur and Phoolpur were won by BSP. Congress had secured Pratapgarh and Sultanpur apart from Amethi in 2009. BJP could not ensure even second position at any of these 13 seats.

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