TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Bharatiya Janata Party is planning to reach out to people, especially backward and rural communities, through special conventions and public meetings. Party leaders on Thursday held meetings with workers to plan their poll strategies.
BJP, which aims to win both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa, has decided to hold booth-level conventions across Goa and public meetings in all 40 constituencies. National BJP leaders who are not contesting the polls are expected to address meetings in the State along with local leaders.
Constituency-wise booth-level conventions would begin from March 23 to April 2 followed by public meetings from April 3 to April 10.
The party is currently conducting door-to-door campaign though their Ek Note Kamal pe Vote (one currency note, vote on lotus) that kicked off last month. The campaign is for collecting voluntary contributions from public for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“Election campaign will begin in full swing from March 23 onwards,” party official Sadanand Shet Tanawde told Herald. Tanawde said that party will continue its winning streak at the Lok Sabha polls.
BJP has fielded sitting MP Shripad Naik from North and Adv Narendra Sawaikar from South Goa.
While Naik will be filing his nomination on March 24, Sawaikar will file his nomination paper on March 25.
The ruling BJP in Goa had initiated its election campaign between March 12 to March 16 identifying panchayats and municipalities where BJP and MGP has its hold. Party workers claim to have a hold over 60 per cent local bodies and now are working to strengthen its base in the remaining 40 percent.
One party official said that workers alerted party leaders that people, especially along the mining areas are giving mixed reactions as some are not very happy with the party due to closure of industry, while certain sections are praising the government.
During the meeting it was decided to adopt Assembly election strategy, wherein people from scheduled tribe, scheduled caste and other backward communities would be targeted.
BJP has also planned to work hard to continue garnering votes from the minority communities-Muslims and Catholics,
who recently expressed unhappiness over government functioning.
