Keeping in view the challenges ahead of the 2014 general elections, the BJP has decided to give a “new look” to its Uttar Pradesh unit. The party, which dissolved its entire state unit after the Assembly poll loss, wants “young” leaders at key organisational positions.
Making its intentions clear, the party high command has not only trimmed responsibilities of the “older generation” leaders, but also the facilities, including cars, which they used to avail on the party’ s account. The BJP has also asked its senior leaders that it is “high time” that “young leaders” are included at prominent position in the state unit.
Party sources disclosed that the high command has asked all its senior leaders in the state unit to surrender the vehicles and staff, which they were using for personal use. This decision has caused quite a discomfort among senior leaders in the state unit.
“These are party’s vehicles... leaders can use it if there is some work related to the party. But then some leaders were using it for personal use for many years now,” said a senior BJP leader from UP.
Sources disclosed the newly-appointed state unit chief Laxmikant Bajpai has been asked to give more emphasis to “young leaders” while finalising the list of probable candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP is hoping to finalise the list by end of this year so that candidates can start working in their constituencies way ahead of the general polls.
After the party’s dismal performance in the Assembly polls, an internal assessment of the poll loss had revealed that the BJP’s “older generation” leaders had failed to woo voters, especially the youth.
Another reason was that there were “multiple power camps” led by individual senior leader, which ended up confusing the party cadre as well as the voters.