‘BJP banked on local issues, lost touch in some segments’

THOUGH Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as single largest party, it lost 17 seats that it had won in 2014 in State. In fact party had expected to add atleast 20 more seats to its last tally of 122 which it could not do. Now itisintrospectingwhathavebeen went wrong. A national survey says, the party raised national issues more. Even the Opposition parties too criticised BJP for raising issues like Article 370, economic growth, urban development. Actually the case is not such. BJP did raise local issues but it failed to promote them properly, aggressively and at some places candidates lost touch with the people. Chandrashekhar Bawankule, in-Charge of BJP for East Vidarbha told ‘The Hitavada’, “We raised local issues more. We never banked on national issues.

There was no point in telling people of Mauda about Article 370. There we talked about education, health, employment. In Koradi,Kamptee it would have been foolish to talk on what India did at World EconomicForum.Atleast we know that much. Opposition did unnecessary fuss of it. We projected what we did in last five years in State and in constituencies.” According to Ajay Sancheti,exMP BJP did focus on local issues. Candidates too did not lose touch. “All over the State candidates talked onlocalissues.We talked about Article 370 also and there wasnothingwrong aboutit.There are several people staying in Maharashtradrivenfrom Jammu and Kashmir so it was like sharing a joy. We explained people about the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY).

There are several issues at State level that too we did take up. In last five years BJP did so much work where every single thing was taken care of and we promoted the same,” explained Sancheti. “Constituency-wise every candidate had prepared a manifesto where the focus was on local issues. For example, Krishna Khopde talked about the issues or problems being faced by the people of Kalamna, Pardi, Surya Nagar, Wardhaman Nagar, Nandanvan, etc. Likewise, issue of South West,West are different. North Nagpuris very complicated and mixed constituency so issues of that areas were mostly taken up and put up during the campaign,” explained Pravin Datke, President of Nagpur City unit of BJP. Dr Rajiv Potdar, Nagpur District BJP President made it clear, “There are several issues related to rural areas. Jalyukta Shivar, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, Pandhan roads, Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna, several water supply schemes being run by Municipal Councils are brought by our Government. Several problems related to agriculture too were resolved by this Government.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Bima Suraksha Yojna was brought by our Government and we saw that it reached the beneficiaries. These issues we put aggressively.” Dr Upendra Kothekar, Organising Secretary pointed out,“We have been taking meetings for the last two years where we identified our loopholes and then the process of removal of the same began. During the process one of the important points was of raising local issues more. Every candidate had been asked to promote what he or she did for his constituency. Keeping touch with the constituency was purely a responsibility of candidates. Those who kept touch, won; those who failed, lost.” Prof Anil Sole, MLC explained, “We clearly made bifurcation of the issues to be taken up in rural Nagpur and urban Nagpur. Even the minute separation of issues are also made. Issues like employment, placements, Metro, effective public transport are taken in urban sector while issues related to agrarian crisis are promoted in rural areas.”