Article 370, nationalism to be major poll planks of BJP in Assembly polls

Eying for the three-fourth majority in the Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, the top BJP leadership, has planned to make Article 370 and nationalism its main poll planks, besides development in the upcoming Assembly polls.

BJP chief Amit Shah and party's working president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday held a meeting with newly-appointed election in-charges of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand in the presence of General Secretary (Organisation) and state BJP in-charge of the three states.

Sources present in the meeting told ANI that the issues related to campaigning, programs of top party leadership and the roadmap ahead were discussed in the meeting.

"Article 370 was a big issue and being followed by since the days of Jan Sangh. The BJP government has taken a major decision to abrogate it. It will be discussed. It's a big election issue," Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala told reporters.

He said that Nadda will soon visit Ambala and address a meeting of Shakti-Kendra of three districts which will be followed by another meeting of Mandal presidents.

Haryana and Jharkhand are ruled by the BJP whereas in Maharashtra the BJP and Shiv Sena are running a coalition government.

Shah, in a recent rally in Jind, has already set a target of over 75 in Haryana.

A similar target of winning 65-plus seats in 81-member Jharkhand Assembly and 220-plus in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly has been set, sources said.

The assembly polls in these states are scheduled to be held later this year.

The states have been asked to prepare for the elections with the target given and have been told to focus on national issues with the development of the states in their campaign materials.

The BJP had won 47 out of 90 seats in Haryana, 42 of 81 in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union in Jharkhand and bagged 122 seats in Maharashtra in partnership with the Shiv Sena, which won 63 seats, in the 2014 assembly polls.