BJP eyeing maximum seats in district panchayat president polls in UP

New Delhi: To send a strong message ahead of next year's Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is now focusing on winning the maximum number seats in the district panchayat president (Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh) polls to held in the first half of July.

For this purpose, the BJP has asked all its MPs and MLAs in Uttar Pradesh to ensure victory for the party-backed candidates.

A senior BJP leader said that winning the maximum number of district panchayat president posts is now on the top of the party's priority list in Uttar Pradesh, as it will send a strong message ahead of next year's Assembly elections and also boost the party's campaign, which suffered a minor setbacks at the hands of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the recent panchayat polls.

According to a state BJP leader, the party leadership has decided that all MPs, MLAs and senior leaders must work on the ground to ensure victory for the party-backed candidates.

State ministers, MPs and MLAs, under whose areas the party-backed candidates didn't do well in the ward-level elections, have been asked to out in extra work to ensure victory for the saffron camp.

A party leader explained that the process to select candidates for the polls has started and the lawmakers have been asked to garner support from the Independent candidates.

Many lawmakers of the saffron party have already started camping in their respective areas to garner support for the BJP-backed candidates.

"In the districts where we have lesser number of BJP-backed candidates, we are in touch with the Independents. Majority of the Independents are in touch with us and have extended unconditional support to the party," a BJP leader said.

Another BJP leader claimed that with the support of the Independents, the BJP will be able to defeat the Samajwadi Party by winning the maximum number district panchayat president's posts.

Last week, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J.P. Nadda in the national capital, and discussed the party's performance in the recent panchayat polls in UP.