BJP plans to strengthen 8,000 booths ahead of Himachal polls: Bindal

Party deploys 171 organisational workers; Shrikant Sharma to begin 10-day tribal-area visit

Shimla: The BJP has launched preparations to strengthen its organisation at the booth level in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the next Assembly elections, with a target of building teams of 50 to 75 workers at each of the state’s 8,000 polling booths.

The strategy was discussed at a meeting held at the party headquarters, Deepkamal, in Shimla under the chairmanship of BJP state in-charge Shrikant Sharma. Addressing reporters after the meeting, state BJP president Rajiv Bindal said 171 organisational expansion workers had been deployed across 171 mandals to strengthen the party’s grassroots network.

Bindal said these workers had left their homes to focus on organisational activities at the booth level. He added that Sharma would begin a 10-day visit to tribal areas, starting from Rampur and extending to Bharmour. BJP co-in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Sudarshana Singh is scheduled to visit Kangra district from October 25 to 29.

Targeting the Congress, Bindal accused its leaders of repeatedly raising allegations of factionalism within the BJP to divert public attention. He claimed that internal differences within the Congress were evident, citing the reported absence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the state Congress president from a statue unveiling ceremony for former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, as well as a statement by Pratibha Singh.

Bindal also criticised the Sukhu government over its handling of the state’s finances, employment promises and public services. He alleged that the Congress had failed to fulfil its promises of one lakh government jobs and a monthly payment of Rs 1,500 to 28 lakh women. He further claimed that the state had accumulated Rs 45,000 crore in loans during the government’s tenure and that development work had slowed.

Raising concerns about public services, Bindal referred to reports of patients being carried on traditional cots to access medical care. He also alleged that pulses sold through ration depots were more expensive than those in the open market, that a Rs 100 tax had been imposed on cement, and that electricity bills had increased five to ten times, affecting 16 lakh consumers.

On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Bindal said the exercise was intended to clean up voter lists and claimed that six of the previous seven such exercises had taken place under Congress governments. He accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of opposing the revision to protect infiltrators. These allegations were made by Bindal during the press briefing.The BJP’s booth-level mobilisation and planned visits to different regions form part of its organisational preparations ahead of the next Assembly elections.