BJP to hold Nukkad meetings from next week, to train 15,000 local leaders for people-connect

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to increase its visibility across the State and build confidence among voters, BJP plans to launch 10,000 nukkad meetings from December 15, a programme for which it is also training 15,000 local level at town and district levels to address small gatherings and put forward the party's vision of governance for the State.

This is also being done to counter the TMC's bondhodhwani Jatra, the party's outreach programme to talk about its work that began on Friday, party officials said. During the 15-day programmes, nearly 3000 TMC officials have started covering 30-35 km and visiting at least nine areas each per day, to present the government's 10-year performance report wherein it has claimed that the State has shown significant improvements in agriculture, employment and social indicators under the TMC rule.

The prime agenda of the BJP's local meetings will be to get local leaders to speak about issues in every area, and to boost the morale of the cadre, party officials said. "The BJP is training 15,000 district level leaders to give 20 minute speeches.The programme will get a further boost when HM Amit Shah visits Bengal on Dec 18," a party official said.


BJP vice-president Jaiprakash Majumdar told ET that these 10,000 local leaders through their meetings will "take BJP to people, and tell them about the benefits of having the same government at the State and Centre for growth." Every Shaktikendra has 5-7 booths and nukkad sabhas are being planned for seven-eight booths and the programme is part of an effort to strengthen the shaktikendras of the party, a party functionary said.

TMC spokesperson Saugata Roy told ET that the Bondhodhwani yatra is receiving a lot of response from all over the State. "Our programmes are going on well. The BJP may plan a lot but it doesn't have the cadres."

"There is a strong ruling party culture here where people are scared to speak their minds as all local authorities work for the State government. But the BJP is firm on protecting the electoral rights of people to go out and vote. We want to assure them Central agencies, including the EC will be monitoring the polls. We just need more local representatives to say 'enough is enough' and increase support for the BJP. It is also to give courage to both the cadre and speakers," another BJP functionary said.

He said according to the party's internal assessment, the BJP's organizational strength is much better than the TMC's in 2011. "The TMC had a strong organisation only in places such as Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas, but with Suvendu Adhikari and Sovan Chatterjee leaving, the situation is not the same.

Apart from alleged TMC's misgovernance, the BJP local leaders are expected to raise the issue of political violence in the State, including the recent attack on BJP president JP Nadda's convoy on Thursday.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has blamed the BJP for letting its leaders travel in huge convoys and not trusting the State government with their security. Warning people to be "wary" of the outsiders who are coming to the State everyday to campaign for the BJP, she has also claimed that while the BJP has the resources, it does not have the workers that TMC has.