BJP gets cracking for upcoming assembly polls in 9 states

NEW DELHI: With an eye on the nine states where assembly elections are due this year, BJP today held a meeting of its Central Election Management Committee at the party headquarters here to chalk out its poll strategy.

Karnataka, where the BJP government has been facing one controversy after another, will go to polls around April. BJP leaders are concerned about the party's prospects with former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa forming his own outfit, which could dent BJP's vote bank.

Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura will have elections in a couple of months.

Stakes are high for BJP in the elections to be held in the second half of 2013 as Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram face polls.

"Except for Tripura, in all these states Congress is our main political adversary," BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Naqvi, who is incharge of the Central Election Management and Coordination Committee, said preparations have already commenced at the booth level.

"State and Central leaders of the party are extending co-operation to workers in making preparations for elections in all these states and are also reviewing the progress," he said.

BJP is in power in three states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka - whereas Congress is in power in five states - Delhi, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram. Tripura is ruled by the Left.

BJP plans to make price rise and corruption the main issues on which it will take on the Congress in these states.