The BJP is setting its eyes on seven states which it has never won. Party president Amit Shah has appointed union ministers, all Narendra Modi confidants, to coordinate with the party organisations in the states. 

Health minister JP Nadda, who has cabinet rank, has been given charge of coordinating with the state unit in Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, ministers Piyush Goyal and Rajiv Pratap Rudy have been given charge. In West Bengal, commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman will coordinate with the state unit. Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been given the responsibility of coordinating with the party unit in Assam. Chemicals and Fertilizers minister Hansraj Ahir, have been given charge of the newly formed Telangana, while culture and tourism minister Mahesh Sharma, has been asked to coordinate with the party unit in Odisha.

This is part of the BJP’s strategy to ensure cooperation between the government and organisation. Of these states, barring in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, elections are due in 2016 in other five, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. The master strategist Amit Shah has already visited these states and gathered information on the ground level. BJP requires a win in these states to ensure its numbers in Rajya Sabha goes up for implementing many of its agendas.

By Premji