JP Nadda meets party’s Bihar unit leaders

Patna: Ahead of Bihar assembly polls, BJP national working President J.P. Nadda held meetings with the party’s state unit leaders here on Tuesday. Mr Nadda was in the city to attend the seventh death anniversary of former Gujarat governor and BJP patriarch late Kailashpati Mishra. Addressing the masses and party workers during the event he criticized the Congress party for its policies. During his speech, Mr Nadda also spoke about the achievements India made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, “Remem-ber that India has taken a centre stage in international diplomacy. Our country is developing in every field. In the defense sector, our strength has also increased. The Modi government has the ability to take decisions. India is changing and picture of Bihar is also changing". This was his first visit to the state after his appointment as the working president. Mr Nadda later held meetings with the party’s state core committee and legislators where he discussed strategies for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.

Sources said that after failing to get desired results in two states - Maharashtra and Haryana the BJP is gearing up to begin early poll preparations in Bihar.

The assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held in 2020. According to BJP insiders, the party is trying to hard expand its organizational strength at the grass root in order to gain in the election.

JP Nadda along with Bihar BJP in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi also met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. His meeting with Bihar CM is being seen as crucial ahead of 2020 assembly polls.

As part of the opposition grand alliance in Bihar Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) had defeated the BJP during 2015 assembly polls. However, after Nitish Kumar’s political differences with RJD Chief Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav he returned to NDA fold and formed a government with BJP’s support in July 2017.

In 2015 assembly election the NDA minus Nitish Kumar had won 58 out of 243 seats (BJP-53, LJP-2, RLSP -2 and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM- 1). The opposition grand alliance in Bihar comprising of JD(U), RJD and Congress had won 179 seats.

In the recent Lok Sabha election, BJP and JD(U) had won 17 and 16 seats respectively in the state followed by six of the Ram Vilas Paswan - led LJP.

Speaking on the occasion Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that "we are confident that the BJP along with our allies will win the 2020 assembly election with a thumping majority. As far as opposition parties are concerned they arefighting for the second position",