Chennai: The BJP candidates are facing a strange challenge. They can’t step out of the Assembly constituencies from where they contested in the May election nor relax now that the Assembly elections are over. The party high command has directed them to strive hard and strengthen the base for the local bodies and the next Lok Sabha elections.
Though the party's national secretary H. Raja has shifted to Chennai (T. Nagar Assembly constituency) long ago and hence does not face the problem of relocating, party's general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan, a practicing lawyer, has moved to South Coimbatore from where she contested.
“Yes, the party high command has asked us to work in the constituencies. Also, I have shifted for on my own accord,” she replied when asked about the latest diktat by the party central leadership. This time, as per the new organisation reshuffle made on Saturday, the saffron party has got six general secretaries at state level besides 13 zonal in charge, amid whom the geographical areas would be apportioned for effective monitoring the functioning of district units.
The posts of general secretaries and zonal in charge are very crucial for the party to make the BJP organisationally strong. But the sidelining of former state vice president M. Chakravarthy, who was among the senior leaders who had played a crucial role in ensuring a rainbow alliance for the 2014 LS election, has caused heartburns among a section of cadres in the party.
He also commands sufficient clout among the Telugus in the state and they constitute about 20 per cent of the vote share for the party.
