Coming after the Karnataka election debacle, the BJP’s holding its Maharashtra executive committee meeting in Pune, where it recently lost an Assembly bypoll to the Congress, is assuming significance, especially with the local and Lok Sabha polls expected in one year.
More importantly, BJP chief J P Nadda will address the executive committee on Thursday over the preparations for the forthcoming elections. He is on a two-day tour and will hold party meetings in Mumbai and Pune.
The BJP has lost power in Karnataka to the Congress, which single-handedly won the elections. Many Maharashtra BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis campaigned for party candidates in the neighbouring state. And Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena campaigned in the Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka.
While the Lok Sabha elections are just a year ahead, the civic polls can be held anytime soon. Although the BJP-Shiv Sena government has been putting on a brave face after the Supreme Court judgment on the power struggle in the state, it has been targeted by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
“The state executive committee meeting will be addressed by party chief J P Nadda. There will also be separate meetings of state BJP ministers and MP as well as MLAs of the party,” said Pune BJP chief Jagdish Mulik.
A total of 1,200 delegates including the party’s district-level office-bearers will attend the high-level meeting.
The BJP executive meeting in Pune is also significant because of the loss of its stronghold of Kasba to the Congress. The party had made it a prestige issue and senior leaders campaigned for its candidate but had to face defeat after 30 years. The BJP’s bypoll loss attracted national attention.
There is also a possibility of a bypoll to the Pune Lok Sabha seat, which got vacated after the death of BJP MP Girish Bapat. The BJP cannot afford to lose the seat considering that the general elections are just a year ahead. The state will also witness Assembly elections next year.
Two days ago, Fadnavis downplayed the Karnataka election results and their impact on the Maharashtra BJP. He said the BJP-Sena combine would retain power in the state. He also said Pune was a BJP stronghold and that people would continue to trust the party.
