LS poll campaign: BJP readies voter contact programme in Nagpur

BJP workers have hit the ground running in the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, from where Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will file his nomination again this year, to reach out to voters ahead of the upcoming general elections.

The party workers and office-bearers are making detailed plans to woo voters and leaving nothing to chance.

A massive team of 65,000-70,000 BJP workers and supporters has fanned out in every assembly segment that falls under the Lok Sabha constituency, which has 1,903 voting booths, BJP sources said.

One 'panna pramukh' has been deployed for each voters list. There are around 55,000 people working as 'panna pramukh' (page in-charge) in the constituency.

The 'panna pramukh' is the first point of contact for voters under the BJP's election management strategy.

Besides, 10,000-20,000 BJP office-bearers and workers are part of other campaigning verticals, they said.

BJP's Nagpur spokesperson Chandan Goswami told PTI that party workers have started a door-to-door campaign to reach out to the voters.

The workers will apprise the voters about various welfare schemes launched by the BJP-led state and central governments, he said.

Details of the Nagpur metro project, the first phase of which became operational in early March, and the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) will also be shared with the voters, he said.

Gadkari, in his public rallies last month, had said infrastructure projects in Nagpur have attracted investment worth Rs 80,000 crore.

At public rallies, the former BJP chief often highlights the work done by him for the city, the second capital of Maharashtra.

A team of 50 workers will be actively working in each Vidhan Sabha constituency under the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, Goswami said.

There are six Vidhan Sabha segments in Nagpur.

Similarly, a micro-planning team is working under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Gadkari himself is overseeing all the campaigning work in Maharashtra, Goswami said.

Likewise, 'cluster pramukhs' will be working under Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, he said.

These 'cluster pramukhs' will look after campaigning on social media in assembly constituencies and door-to-door campaigns, Goswami said.

A manifesto team has also been formed under local legislators who will be going to the voters with the BJP's manifesto, he added.

Besides, several public meetings have been lined up. State and Union ministers will address these meetings, he said.

There are a total of 40,24,197 voters, including 19,57,995 women, in the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, where voting will take place in single phase on April 11.

The Congress has fielded Nana Patole, a former BJP MP from Gondia Bhandara who joined the party last year, from Nagpur.

The results for Lok Sabha polls will be announced on May 23.