STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Guwahati has turned out to be the hotbed for holding meetings of the BJP, both regional and national-level ones, for the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll in 2024. While the party's meetings of the East Zone, comprising 12 states, and the core committee meeting of the state BJP were held in the city yesterday, the city is set to host three important meetings of the State BJP tomorrow.
Apart from the eight northeastern states, the East Zone meeting of the party had participants from West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand. These 12 states together have 142 Lok Sabha seats. The party has thrown its full weight into the East Zone to win at least 120 Lok Sabha seats, compared to the 93 they won in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. The party won 16 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the Northeast in 2019.
Presidents, general secretaries, organizational secretaries, in-charges, co-incharges, and others from the 12 states of the East Zone took part in the meeting yesterday. The BJP's national organizational secretary, BL Santosh, took stock of the party's roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha poll in the East Zone.
Santosh said that the East Zone needs to strengthen the party's organizational strength right from the grassroots level of the party. He sought reports from the party presidents in the 12 states of the East Zone on the status and strength of the opposition parties in their respective states and which opposition party or parties could throw challenges to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. He also asked the party presidents of the 12 states to go ahead with talks with regional parties for alliances if the need arises.
According to sources in the state BJP, Santosh has sought a report from the Assam leadership of the party on the possible impact of the Congress-led 12-party front in Assam in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Speaking to the media, state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita said, "The meeting of the East Zone of the party focused on strengthening the party bases in the 12 states before the Lok Sabha poll. The party's mission in Assam is to garner at least 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats."
State BJP media convener Dhrubajyoti Moral said that the state committee of the party would hold three crucial meetings-an office-bearers' meeting, a meeting of the organizational district presidents, and a meeting of the district in-charges of the party-on July 8 in Guwahati. All these meetings would focus on the organizational strength of the party vis-à-vis the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, he said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also had their courtesy meetings with the leaders of the party assembled in Guwahati for the meeting of the East Zone of the party yesterday.
Also Read: 2024 Lok Sabha Polls: BJP Leaders of 12 Eastern, NE States Held a Strategic Meeting in Guwahati
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