BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday visited Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming legislative council polls in the state and meet the party's 'sulking' alliance partners.

The BJP national president, who took a day's off from the Karnataka assembly campaign, is understood to have taken a look at the names of probable party candidates for the legislative council polls.

The elections to the 13 seats will be held on April 26 with the ruling BJP being certain of winning at least 11 seats, going by its brute majority in the state legislative assembly.

Shah began his tour by garlanding the statue of Jyotibha Phule, sending a message that the saffron party did not want to keep the Dalits at an arms distance at a time when the Lok Sabha polls were barely a few months away.

"With party MPs Savitribai Phoole, Ashok Dohrey, Chhotelal, Yashwant Singh virtually raising a banner of revolt against Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath, Shah had a long discussion with the chief minister at the latter's 5 Kalidas Marg residence to assuage their hurt sentiments. The parliamentarians had written about their discontent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior party leader said.

UP deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey were also present during the discussion, he said.

The party leader said the Lok Sabha bypoll debacle of Gorakhpur and Phulpur also figured in the meeting.

The outburst of the four parliamentarians and another BJP MP Udit Raj came at a time when the country witnessed a public outcry against the Supreme Court's order on the SC/ST Act, which the Dalit leaders said was an attempt to "dilute" the law.

After facing strident criticism from the Opposition on Dalit issues, the BJP is also grappling with a rising voice of discontent among its own MPs belonging to the Scheduled Castes in Uttar Pradesh.

Lok Sabha members from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh respectively, are the latest to join their Dalit colleagues from the party to criticise the UP government.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dohrey had alleged that the Dalits and tribals across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, were being framed by the police in false cases after the protests, leading to growing insecurity among them.

Yashwant Singh, meanwhile, had reportedly said that nothing had been done for Dalits in the last four years.

Party insiders also said that the BJP's sulking ally, SBSP leader O P Rajbhar, who is also a cabinet minister, presented his case before Shah.

Rajbhar told PTI, "I raised the issue of quota within quota for the most backward classes. Apart from this, discrepancies pertaining to ration cards, housing, toilets, pensions and scholarship were also discussed.

Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) has four MLAs in the state assembly. He had threatened to boycott last month's Rajya Sabha biennial election.

Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel also met the BJP president.

"The meeting with the BJP chief was held in a very cordial atmosphere. We spoke for adequate representation of Dalits and backward classes at police stations and Tehsil offices, and we were told that our demands will be looked into," he said.

The BJP national president, who took a day's off from the Karnataka assembly campaign, is understood to have taken a look at the names of probable party candidates for the legislative council polls

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday visited Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming legislative council polls in the state and meet the party's 'sulking' alliance partners. The BJP national president, who took a day's off from the Karnataka assembly campaign, is understood to have taken a look at the names of probable party candidates for the legislative council polls. The elections to the 13 seats will be held on April 26 with the ruling BJP being certain of winning at least 11 seats, going by its brute majority in the state legislative assembly. Shah began his tour by garlanding the statue of Jyotibha Phule, sending a message that the saffron party did not want to keep the Dalits at an arms distance at a time when the Lok Sabha polls were barely a few months away. "With party MPs Savitribai Phoole, Ashok Dohrey, Chhotelal, Yashwant Singh virtually raising a banner of revolt against Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath, Shah had a long discussion with the chief minister at the latter's 5 Kalidas Marg residence to assuage their hurt sentiments. The parliamentarians had written about their discontent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior party leader said. UP deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey were also present during the discussion, he said. The party leader said the Lok Sabha bypoll debacle of Gorakhpur and Phulpur also figured in the meeting. The outburst of the four parliamentarians and another BJP MP Udit Raj came at a time when the country witnessed a public outcry against the Supreme Court's order on the SC/ST Act, which the Dalit leaders said was an attempt to "dilute" the law. After facing strident criticism from the Opposition on Dalit issues, the BJP is also grappling with a rising voice of discontent among its own MPs belonging to the Scheduled Castes in Uttar Pradesh. Lok Sabha members from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh respectively, are the latest to join their Dalit colleagues from the party to criticise the UP government. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dohrey had alleged that the Dalits and tribals across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, were being framed by the police in false cases after the protests, leading to growing insecurity among them. Yashwant Singh, meanwhile, had reportedly said that nothing had been done for Dalits in the last four years. Party insiders also said that the BJP's sulking ally, SBSP leader O P Rajbhar, who is also a cabinet minister, presented his case before Shah. Rajbhar told PTI, "I raised the issue of quota within quota for the most backward classes. Apart from this, discrepancies pertaining to ration cards, housing, toilets, pensions and scholarship were also discussed. Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) has four MLAs in the state assembly. He had threatened to boycott last month's Rajya Sabha biennial election. Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel also met the BJP president. "The meeting with the BJP chief was held in a very cordial atmosphere. We spoke for adequate representation of Dalits and backward classes at police stations and Tehsil offices, and we were told that our demands will be looked into," he said.

Uttar Pradesh: Amit Shah meets BJP's 'sulking' alliance partners

2019 Lok Sabha elections is less likely to be fought on economic promise or earned laurels but on the issue of social justice on caste lines. This pattern was broken during 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The prominent theme was Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (collective efforts, inclusive growth) and PM Modi's viral slogan Na Khaunga Na Khane Dunga (will not engage in corruption myself, nor allow others). It also witnessed split in Dalit vote in North India leading to BJP sweeping all the reserved seats in Uttar Pradesh.

This trend continued well into the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections leading to a tsunami in BJP's favour. Despite such good showing, the backward caste realignment has found a firm footing in the opposition's politics. There is one main factor for its re-emergence. 
&nbsp 
First and foremost reason is the internal contradiction within Hinduism. At the level of practice, the limit of tolerance fails both socially and culturally at the door of a Dalit family. This contradiction was surmounted only because of Narendra Modi's massive appeal in 2014 but subsequent cultural positions of upper caste and sanskritised OBC reopened the schism. 
&nbsp 
Upper caste and OBC led political Hindutva met its match with backward caste mobilisation in Bihar. Though the point in case is that in absence of gathbandhan (tie-up) between OBC and backward castes, BJP swept UP and did exceptionally well in reserved constituencies as well. 
&nbsp 
It is this realisation that Congress in past two years has altered it politics from Congress Ka Haath Aam Aadmi Ki Saath (Congress' hand is with the common man) to strong backward caste, Dalit oriented politics. It peppers its Dalit campaign with strong Hindu symbols to counter the 'foreign' character of Rahul Gandhi's leadership. The regional parties too have come together out of an existential crisis. 
&nbsp 
Apart from minorities, Dalits too were at the receiving end of the cow protection campaign. It created schism within the concept of the larger Hindu family. Multiple cases across North India were reported where Dalits became target of the lynch mobs because there work involved cattle skinning and trading which stood opposed to the upper caste and OBC led moral eco-system of the new Hindutva brigade. 
&nbsp 
Lastly, it is the only issue the BJP government has been politically defensive about. Whether it was Rohit Vemula controversy, or violence against Dalit community in Gujarat or anti-reservation agitation - it reinforces old identity politics which BJP has been trying to subsume under the rubric of cultural nationalism. The attempt of BJP has been to consume caste identities under one monolithic identity of a Hindu but inadvertently, old identities persist as caste remains integral to practiced Hinduism which manifests itself in forms of marriage, death, rituals and feasting. It for this reason that BJP has paid special focus on contribution of BR Ambedkar and common dining with Dalit communities. But original ideology has its limitation. It is for this reason that post-Tripura victory saw desecration of statues of Ambedkar. 
&nbsp 
The same consolidation seem to be working in Karnataka which has not allowed BJP campaign to take off. 
&nbsp 
Uttar Pradesh was an example in case where undivided Hindu vote created a BJP tsunami. Phoolpur and Gorakhpur results on the other hand show that backward caste alignment amongst OBCs and Dalits have the potential to create a counter narrative. What is debatable is as to which identity politics is better - India divided on backward-forward politics, or between one majority and various minorities? The whole idea is debatable but what it does is that it takes Indian politics back to Mandal vs Kamandal polarisation. 
&nbsp 
The only difference is that it took couple of years for BSP and SP to sink differences to defeat BJP. The political compulsion and strength of BJP was the reason behind it. The result is there for everyone to see. Only thing is whether history will repeat itself. Such political configuration have defeated Congress and BJP in past but none could complete a term which includes alliance between then Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati. So, whoever wins Lok Sabha elections on 2019, old identity politics is back in the game.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

2019 Lok Sabha elections is less likely to be fought on economic promise or earned laurels but on the issue of social justice on caste lines.

2019 Lok Sabha elections is less likely to be fought on economic promise or earned laurels but on the issue of social justice on caste lines. This pattern was broken during 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The prominent theme was Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (collective efforts, inclusive growth) and PM Modi's viral slogan Na Khaunga Na Khane Dunga (will not engage in corruption myself, nor allow others). It also witnessed split in Dalit vote in North India leading to BJP sweeping all the reserved seats in Uttar Pradesh. This trend continued well into the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections leading to a tsunami in BJP's favour. Despite such good showing, the backward caste realignment has found a firm footing in the opposition's politics. There is one main factor for its re-emergence. First and foremost reason is the internal contradiction within Hinduism. At the level of practice, the limit of tolerance fails both socially and culturally at the door of a Dalit family. This contradiction was surmounted only because of Narendra Modi's massive appeal in 2014 but subsequent cultural positions of upper caste and sanskritised OBC reopened the schism. Upper caste and OBC led political Hindutva met its match with backward caste mobilisation in Bihar. Though the point in case is that in absence of gathbandhan (tie-up) between OBC and backward castes, BJP swept UP and did exceptionally well in reserved constituencies as well. It is this realisation that Congress in past two years has altered it politics from Congress Ka Haath Aam Aadmi Ki Saath (Congress' hand is with the common man) to strong backward caste, Dalit oriented politics. It peppers its Dalit campaign with strong Hindu symbols to counter the 'foreign' character of Rahul Gandhi's leadership. The regional parties too have come together out of an existential crisis. Apart from minorities, Dalits too were at the receiving end of the cow protection campaign. It created schism within the concept of the larger Hindu family. Multiple cases across North India were reported where Dalits became target of the lynch mobs because there work involved cattle skinning and trading which stood opposed to the upper caste and OBC led moral eco-system of the new Hindutva brigade. Lastly, it is the only issue the BJP government has been politically defensive about. Whether it was Rohit Vemula controversy, or violence against Dalit community in Gujarat or anti-reservation agitation - it reinforces old identity politics which BJP has been trying to subsume under the rubric of cultural nationalism. The attempt of BJP has been to consume caste identities under one monolithic identity of a Hindu but inadvertently, old identities persist as caste remains integral to practiced Hinduism which manifests itself in forms of marriage, death, rituals and feasting. It for this reason that BJP has paid special focus on contribution of BR Ambedkar and common dining with Dalit communities. But original ideology has its limitation. It is for this reason that post-Tripura victory saw desecration of statues of Ambedkar. The same consolidation seem to be working in Karnataka which has not allowed BJP campaign to take off. Uttar Pradesh was an example in case where undivided Hindu vote created a BJP tsunami. Phoolpur and Gorakhpur results on the other hand show that backward caste alignment amongst OBCs and Dalits have the potential to create a counter narrative. What is debatable is as to which identity politics is better - India divided on backward-forward politics, or between one majority and various minorities? The whole idea is debatable but what it does is that it takes Indian politics back to Mandal vs Kamandal polarisation. The only difference is that it took couple of years for BSP and SP to sink differences to defeat BJP. The political compulsion and strength of BJP was the reason behind it. The result is there for everyone to see. Only thing is whether history will repeat itself. Such political configuration have defeated Congress and BJP in past but none could complete a term which includes alliance between then Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati. So, whoever wins Lok Sabha elections on 2019, old identity politics is back in the game. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Mandal vs Kamandal version 2.0 likely in 2019 polls

There is state of political upheaval these days in the nation. Narendra Modi is standing tall and firm and he has sent ripples of insecurity among all political parties. Leaders are worried about their future. There is state of panic among parties opposed to BJP and everybody is willing to go to any extent to secure his political future.

Sworn enemies are coming close and burying the hatchet deep. Just now, eternal die-hard enemies the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party joined hands for Gorakhpur & Phulpur by-elections.

Ideologies and official party lines have gone for a toss. Raj Thackeray and Sharad Pawar are exploring each other for a possible tie-up. More bizarre is the fact that Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on Uddhav Thackeray when she visited Mumbai recently. This is ground-breaking as both parties have ideologies which are diametrically opposite to each other, literally.

Regional satraps have their own ambitions. Everybody is trying to become the anti-Modi crusader.

But it is very much visible that in all this jugglery Congress is going to be the biggest loser in days to come. It was so very well manifested in the recent Phulpur & Gorakhpur bypolls. In Phulpur and Gorakhpur during general elections in 2014, Congress begged a six per cent and four per cent votes. Forty five months down the line, in the recent bypolls, when there was a mass shifting of votes from the BJP's share, Congress's vote share further plummeted to an unbelievable two and & 2.6 per cent respectively.

So even if we consider a case where voters get alienated from BJP, they don't see Congress as an option.

The game of politics is simple. You need to keep some compelling reason alive for voters to vote for you. This compelling reason is of two types - either you generate a feeling among voters on macro-level i.e. on the broad national level, or you should have the grip on the votes due to regional reasons.

Take the case of BJP. BJP commands vote on both the accounts. People believe that BJP is a strong organisation with strong central leadership and thus it succeeds. Moreover, since BJP has strong regional presence and leadership (like UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Paradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh) and in most part of India BJP connects with voters well on regional issues/sentiments, it commands votes on this aspect too.

Regional parties like Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Telugu Desam Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal will keep floating for the time to come as they somehow or other will keep a connection on the ground with their understanding of the regional issues and their strong cadre at the grassroot level.

Congress fails miserably on both the accounts. They at this point in time, are far from being a national alternative under the almost non-existence central leadership. Over the years, weak leadership at the top has also resulted in steep depletion of its cadre across the nation. Barring Punjab, Rajasthan and to an extent Karnataka, Congress has completely lost base on the ground. The loss has gone to an extent and to a point that it is now more or less irreversible.

In this scenario, a united front under the leadership of Congress (read Rahul Gandhi) is highly improbable. Regional parties know the political acumen and patronage of Rahul Gandhi and simply shy away from any association with them. Taking a cue from the SP-Congress tie-up last year in UP assembly poll, regional parties now realise that any association with Congress will only weaken their regional selling points among voters. The crux is that regional parties may be interested to shake hand with anybody, but Congress.

So the way politics is going on these days and the way regional parties are trying to keep themselves afloat amid the Modi wave, it is likely that Congress will be left alone in the race and votes will get polarised towards BJP and regional parties in days to come.

It is high time that Congress leadership smells the coffee before it gets too late. By answering the questions of gatherings in Singapore and Malaysia, the Congress president will not garner support back home. He needs to make his party relevant for those who really matter i.e. Indian voters.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Even if voters get alienated from BJP, they don't see Congress as an option.

There is state of political upheaval these days in the nation. Narendra Modi is standing tall and firm and he has sent ripples of insecurity among all political parties. Leaders are worried about their future. There is state of panic among parties opposed to BJP and everybody is willing to go to any extent to secure his political future. Sworn enemies are coming close and burying the hatchet deep. Just now, eternal die-hard enemies the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party joined hands for Gorakhpur & Phulpur by-elections. Ideologies and official party lines have gone for a toss. Raj Thackeray and Sharad Pawar are exploring each other for a possible tie-up. More bizarre is the fact that Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on Uddhav Thackeray when she visited Mumbai recently. This is ground-breaking as both parties have ideologies which are diametrically opposite to each other, literally. Regional satraps have their own ambitions. Everybody is trying to become the anti-Modi crusader. But it is very much visible that in all this jugglery Congress is going to be the biggest loser in days to come. It was so very well manifested in the recent Phulpur & Gorakhpur bypolls. In Phulpur and Gorakhpur during general elections in 2014, Congress begged a six per cent and four per cent votes. Forty five months down the line, in the recent bypolls, when there was a mass shifting of votes from the BJP's share, Congress's vote share further plummeted to an unbelievable two and & 2.6 per cent respectively. So even if we consider a case where voters get alienated from BJP, they don't see Congress as an option. The game of politics is simple. You need to keep some compelling reason alive for voters to vote for you. This compelling reason is of two types - either you generate a feeling among voters on macro-level i.e. on the broad national level, or you should have the grip on the votes due to regional reasons. Take the case of BJP. BJP commands vote on both the accounts. People believe that BJP is a strong organisation with strong central leadership and thus it succeeds. Moreover, since BJP has strong regional presence and leadership (like UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Paradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh) and in most part of India BJP connects with voters well on regional issues/sentiments, it commands votes on this aspect too. Regional parties like Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Telugu Desam Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal will keep floating for the time to come as they somehow or other will keep a connection on the ground with their understanding of the regional issues and their strong cadre at the grassroot level. Congress fails miserably on both the accounts. They at this point in time, are far from being a national alternative under the almost non-existence central leadership. Over the years, weak leadership at the top has also resulted in steep depletion of its cadre across the nation. Barring Punjab, Rajasthan and to an extent Karnataka, Congress has completely lost base on the ground. The loss has gone to an extent and to a point that it is now more or less irreversible. In this scenario, a united front under the leadership of Congress (read Rahul Gandhi) is highly improbable. Regional parties know the political acumen and patronage of Rahul Gandhi and simply shy away from any association with them. Taking a cue from the SP-Congress tie-up last year in UP assembly poll, regional parties now realise that any association with Congress will only weaken their regional selling points among voters. The crux is that regional parties may be interested to shake hand with anybody, but Congress. So the way politics is going on these days and the way regional parties are trying to keep themselves afloat amid the Modi wave, it is likely that Congress will be left alone in the race and votes will get polarised towards BJP and regional parties in days to come. It is high time that Congress leadership smells the coffee before it gets too late. By answering the questions of gatherings in Singapore and Malaysia, the Congress president will not garner support back home. He needs to make his party relevant for those who really matter i.e. Indian voters. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: In current anti-Modi rhetoric by regional parties, Congress tends to be the biggest loser

There is state of political upheaval these days in the nation. Narendra Modi is standing tall and firm and he has sent ripples of insecurity among all political parties. Leaders are worried about their future. There is state of panic among parties opposed to BJP and everybody is willing to go to any extent to secure his political future.

Sworn enemies are coming close and burying the hatchet deep. Just now, eternal die-hard enemies the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party joined hands for Gorakhpur &amp; Phulpur by-elections.

Ideologies and official party lines have gone for a toss. Raj Thackeray and Sharad Pawar are exploring each other for a possible tie-up. More bizarre is the fact that Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on Uddhav Thackeray when she visited Mumbai recently. This is ground-breaking as both parties have ideologies which are diametrically opposite to each other, literally.

Regional satraps have their own ambitions. Everybody is trying to become the anti-Modi crusader.

But it is very much visible that in all this jugglery Congress is going to be the biggest loser in days to come. It was so very well manifested in the recent Phulpur &amp; Gorakhpur bypolls. In Phulpur and Gorakhpur during general elections in 2014, Congress begged a six per cent and four per cent votes. Forty five months down the line, in the recent bypolls, when there was a mass shifting of votes from the BJP&#39;s share, Congress&#39;s vote share further plummeted to an unbelievable two and &amp; 2.6 per cent respectively.

So even if we consider a case where voters get alienated from BJP, they don&#39;t see Congress as an option.

The game of politics is simple. You need to keep some compelling reason alive for voters to vote for you. This compelling reason is of two types - either you generate a feeling among voters on macro-level i.e. on the broad national level, or you should have the grip on the votes due to regional reasons.

Take the case of BJP. BJP commands vote on both the accounts. People believe that BJP is a strong organisation with strong central leadership and thus it succeeds. Moreover, since BJP has strong regional presence and leadership (like UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Paradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh) and in most part of India BJP connects with voters well on regional issues/sentiments, it commands votes on this aspect too.

Regional parties like Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Telugu Desam Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal will keep floating for the time to come as they somehow or other will keep a connection on the ground with their understanding of the regional issues and their strong cadre at the grassroot level.

Congress fails miserably on both the accounts. They at this point in time, are far from being a national alternative under the almost non-existence central leadership. Over the years, weak leadership at the top has also resulted in steep depletion of its cadre across the nation. Barring Punjab, Rajasthan and to an extent Karnataka, Congress has completely lost base on the ground. The loss has gone to an extent and to a point that it is now more or less irreversible.

In this scenario, a united front under the leadership of Congress (read Rahul Gandhi) is highly improbable. Regional parties know the political acumen and patronage of Rahul Gandhi and simply shy away from any association with them. Taking a cue from the SP-Congress tie-up last year in UP assembly poll, regional parties now realise that any association with Congress will only weaken their regional selling points among voters. The crux is that regional parties may be interested to shake hand with anybody, but Congress.

So the way politics is going on these days and the way regional parties are trying to keep themselves afloat amid the Modi wave, it is likely that Congress will be left alone in the race and votes will get polarised towards BJP and regional parties in days to come.

It is high time that Congress leadership smells the coffee before it gets too late. By answering the questions of gatherings in Singapore and Malaysia, the Congress president will not garner support back home. He needs to make his party relevant for those who really matter i.e. Indian voters.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Battling the void left by the departure of several senior leaders in the run-up to the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Mayawati-led BSP has gone back to the drawing board to build a second rung of leadership as it prepares for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Almost 150 leaders had quit the BSP around the assembly polls and several of them are now BJP MLAs, a senior leader, who quit the BSP, had said recently.

The work for reorganising the party right from the booth level to the top is going on with the party chief holding meetings on a regular basis, a BSP leader said requesting anonymity.

&quot;The work is going on to bring the second line of leadership from among the cadres, who have been working with dedication since long, and prepare for the general elections early next year,&quot; he said.

The party is focussing on tapping the energy and the enthusiasm of the young workers who are associated with the BSP mission and ideology, and are hard-working, he said.

&quot;They are being given importance in the set-up. The young leaders are apt in communication in the present day scenario and convey the party message while motivating voters, especially of their own age group,&quot; he said.

Before the last assembly elections, the BSP was hit hard by the exodus of its senior leaders. Leaders like Naseemudin Siddiqui, Brijesh Pathak and Swami Prasad Maurya, who had become the party faces, are no longer with the BSP.

While Pathak and Maurya joined the BJP before the elections and are now ministers in the Yogi Adityanath-led government, Siddiqui, who was regarded as the Muslim face of the BSP and once the confidant of the party chief, recently joined the Congress.

&quot;Booth committees will be reorganised and members of backward, upper caste and Muslim communities, besides the Dalits, will most likely get adequate representation in the committees...Missionary workers will be adjusted in the organisation and they will get priority in ticket allocation,&quot; he said.

The BSP chief has also directed the leaders to organise cadre camps across the state for collecting feedback to gauge the mood of the people and gather information about the workers active on the ground.

Also, on the cards is the strengthening of the organisation in the states which go to polls this year, with Mayawati holding meetings with leaders from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh to review preparations.

She has held a series of meetings with the party&#39;s state units and also visited Karnataka where the BSP has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Janata Dal (S), which also shows a marked change in the party&#39;s thinking.

The party supremo is meeting with the leaders of different state units separately, he said.

After the BSP entered into a pre-poll alliance in Karnataka, the party cadres are keen on knowing about any such plan for the Lok Sabha elections. But the plan, if any, will only be decided at the eleventh hour, he said.

&#39;The party chief had made known her views that her party will go into a pre-poll alliance only when the offer made to her is a concrete one as well as honourable. Else, the BSP will go alone and there is no change in it as of now,&quot; he said.

But keeping in mind electoral losses, there are chances of such an alliance as the elections draw nearer since all the major parties are realising the need for unity to check the saffron march, he said.&nbsp;

Almost 150 leaders had quit the BSP around the assembly polls and several of them are now BJP MLAs, a senior leader, who quit the BSP, had said recently.

Battling the void left by the departure of several senior leaders in the run-up to the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Mayawati-led BSP has gone back to the drawing board to build a second rung of leadership as it prepares for the Lok Sabha polls next year. Almost 150 leaders had quit the BSP around the assembly polls and several of them are now BJP MLAs, a senior leader, who quit the BSP, had said recently. The work for reorganising the party right from the booth level to the top is going on with the party chief holding meetings on a regular basis, a BSP leader said requesting anonymity. "The work is going on to bring the second line of leadership from among the cadres, who have been working with dedication since long, and prepare for the general elections early next year," he said. The party is focussing on tapping the energy and the enthusiasm of the young workers who are associated with the BSP mission and ideology, and are hard-working, he said. "They are being given importance in the set-up. The young leaders are apt in communication in the present day scenario and convey the party message while motivating voters, especially of their own age group," he said. Before the last assembly elections, the BSP was hit hard by the exodus of its senior leaders. Leaders like Naseemudin Siddiqui, Brijesh Pathak and Swami Prasad Maurya, who had become the party faces, are no longer with the BSP. While Pathak and Maurya joined the BJP before the elections and are now ministers in the Yogi Adityanath-led government, Siddiqui, who was regarded as the Muslim face of the BSP and once the confidant of the party chief, recently joined the Congress. "Booth committees will be reorganised and members of backward, upper caste and Muslim communities, besides the Dalits, will most likely get adequate representation in the committees...Missionary workers will be adjusted in the organisation and they will get priority in ticket allocation," he said. The BSP chief has also directed the leaders to organise cadre camps across the state for collecting feedback to gauge the mood of the people and gather information about the workers active on the ground. Also, on the cards is the strengthening of the organisation in the states which go to polls this year, with Mayawati holding meetings with leaders from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh to review preparations. She has held a series of meetings with the party's state units and also visited Karnataka where the BSP has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Janata Dal (S), which also shows a marked change in the party's thinking. The party supremo is meeting with the leaders of different state units separately, he said. After the BSP entered into a pre-poll alliance in Karnataka, the party cadres are keen on knowing about any such plan for the Lok Sabha elections. But the plan, if any, will only be decided at the eleventh hour, he said. 'The party chief had made known her views that her party will go into a pre-poll alliance only when the offer made to her is a concrete one as well as honourable. Else, the BSP will go alone and there is no change in it as of now," he said. But keeping in mind electoral losses, there are chances of such an alliance as the elections draw nearer since all the major parties are realising the need for unity to check the saffron march, he said.

Hit by exodus, BSP scouts for leaders among workers

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Saturday fuelling speculation of a possible front against the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Yadav, who was in the city for a party conference, met Mamata Banerjee at her residence.&nbsp;

There is a need for all secular parties to unite against communal forces, the SP chief said.&nbsp;

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Whenever I have visited Bengal, I have met Didi (Mamata Banerjee). Her secular battle is not hidden from anyone and Samajwadi Party stands with her in her battle: Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kolkata?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kolkata</a> <a href="https://t.co/4DVjYU4eDm">pic.twitter.com/4DVjYU4eDm</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/936933390065926144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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When asked whether he would form a joint front with the West Bengal CM, he said &quot;Whenever I have visited Bengal, I have met Didi (Mamata Banerjee). Her secular battle is not hidden from anyone and Samajwadi Party stands with her in her battle,&#39;&#39; former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said after meeting the West Bengal CM.&nbsp;

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A warm meeting with the very kind and respectful Chief Minster, <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MamataOfficial</a> at her residence in Kolkata today. <a href="https://t.co/pN3Mc89km0">pic.twitter.com/pN3Mc89km0</a>
&mdash; Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/936988777305858048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Asked about BJP&#39;s victory in the local body elections in UP, he said that the BJP winning percentage is 46 per cent in areas wherever polls were conducted via EVMs and 15 per cent when it was done by ballot papers. &nbsp;

&quot;I will ask the people to check that the BJP has bagged 46 per cent votes in places where elections were held using EVM and only 15 per cent votes where the polls were held through ballot paper,&quot; he said.

Yadav, who was in the city for a party conference, met Mamata Banerjee at her residence

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Saturday fuelling speculation of a possible front against the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls. Yadav, who was in the city for a party conference, met Mamata Banerjee at her residence. There is a need for all secular parties to unite against communal forces, the SP chief said. Whenever I have visited Bengal, I have met Didi (Mamata Banerjee). Her secular battle is not hidden from anyone and Samajwadi Party stands with her in her battle: Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in #Kolkata pic.twitter.com/4DVjYU4eDm — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 × When asked whether he would form a joint front with the West Bengal CM, he said "Whenever I have visited Bengal, I have met Didi (Mamata Banerjee). Her secular battle is not hidden from anyone and Samajwadi Party stands with her in her battle,'' former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said after meeting the West Bengal CM. A warm meeting with the very kind and respectful Chief Minster, @MamataOfficial at her residence in Kolkata today. pic.twitter.com/pN3Mc89km0 — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) December 2, 2017 × Asked about BJP's victory in the local body elections in UP, he said that the BJP winning percentage is 46 per cent in areas wherever polls were conducted via EVMs and 15 per cent when it was done by ballot papers. "I will ask the people to check that the BJP has bagged 46 per cent votes in places where elections were held using EVM and only 15 per cent votes where the polls were held through ballot paper," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav meets  Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that democracy is under threat in the country under the BJP rule and called upon Opposition parties to work together for the greater interest of the people before the next Lok Sabha polls.

She accused the NDA government of trying to halt the developmental process in her state.

&quot;Democracy is under threat in this country under the present central government. It is a super emergency that is going on in the country. I have been an MP for nearly two decades but I have never seen such a government at the Centre,&quot; she said at the India Today Conclave East here.

&quot;I believe in collective leadership. At present all are working together and that is the best policy. Let us work together,&quot; Banerjee said about the Opposition, adding she shares good relations with the DMK, the SP, the BSP and the BJD and is working with the Congress inside Parliament on various issues.

When asked whether she is hinting at a broader opposition coalition with the Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she said, &quot;In Bengal, the Congress and the Left are working with the BJP at the state level. But at the national level for greater interests I think we should work together.&quot;

To a question whether the country would see a grand opposition coalition ahead of 2019, she said, &quot;It depends. We are working together in Parliament. I went to (RJD chief) Lalu Prasadji&#39;s programme in Patna.&quot;

Banerjee said, &quot;I have a good relationship with (Samajwadi Party chief) Akhilesh ji and (BSP chief) Mayawati ji in Uttar Pradesh, with Stalin ji (DMK), Naveen ji (BJD). I maintain the best of relations with so many other people. Even, within the BJP, I maintain good relation with some people, but not with all.&quot;

Bengal will never accept divide and rule politics of the BJP, she asserted and dismissed that it was a challenger to the ruling (TMC) Trinamool Congress government.

&quot;The BJP is nowhere in Bengal but only on media and social media. They only shout. Let the BJP shout along with their bike vahini, but they cannot do anything in Bengal,&quot; Banerjee said. The BJP is trying to position itself as the main opposition in the state.

She accused the NDA government of trying to halt the developmental process in her state

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that democracy is under threat in the country under the BJP rule and called upon Opposition parties to work together for the greater interest of the people before the next Lok Sabha polls. She accused the NDA government of trying to halt the developmental process in her state. "Democracy is under threat in this country under the present central government. It is a super emergency that is going on in the country. I have been an MP for nearly two decades but I have never seen such a government at the Centre," she said at the India Today Conclave East here. "I believe in collective leadership. At present all are working together and that is the best policy. Let us work together," Banerjee said about the Opposition, adding she shares good relations with the DMK, the SP, the BSP and the BJD and is working with the Congress inside Parliament on various issues. When asked whether she is hinting at a broader opposition coalition with the Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she said, "In Bengal, the Congress and the Left are working with the BJP at the state level. But at the national level for greater interests I think we should work together." To a question whether the country would see a grand opposition coalition ahead of 2019, she said, "It depends. We are working together in Parliament. I went to (RJD chief) Lalu Prasadji's programme in Patna." Banerjee said, "I have a good relationship with (Samajwadi Party chief) Akhilesh ji and (BSP chief) Mayawati ji in Uttar Pradesh, with Stalin ji (DMK), Naveen ji (BJD). I maintain the best of relations with so many other people. Even, within the BJP, I maintain good relation with some people, but not with all." Bengal will never accept divide and rule politics of the BJP, she asserted and dismissed that it was a challenger to the ruling (TMC) Trinamool Congress government. "The BJP is nowhere in Bengal but only on media and social media. They only shout. Let the BJP shout along with their bike vahini, but they cannot do anything in Bengal," Banerjee said. The BJP is trying to position itself as the main opposition in the state.

Democracy under threat, Opposition should work together: Mamata Banerjee

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Hit by exodus, BSP scouts for leaders among workers

Akhilesh Yadav meets Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata

Democracy under threat, Opposition should work together: Mamata Banerjee