Maha polls: Shah tells BJP cadres to sink differences

Union minister Amit Shah has asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers in Maharashtra to resolve internal differences ahead of the crucial assembly elections in the state.

An organisation where workers function in different directions never succeeds, BJP sources quoted Shah as telling a party gathering in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Shah has also asked the Maharashtra BJP to undertake 'Ghar Chalo Abhiyan' to reach out to every household in the state and called for strengthening the party's booth-level network, a party leader said.

On his third visit to Maharashtra in a fortnight, Shah held a meeting with BJP MLAs and a select group of party workers.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and the party's Mumbai unit head Ashish Shelar were present at the meeting in Dadar where Shah addressed the gathering.

Senior BJP leader Shah asked his party workers to iron out internal differences before the elections, which are expected to be held in November, sources said.

"There are differences of opinion even in a family. If there is disappointment about an MLA or Member of Parliament, an amicable solution should be found so that voters remain with the party," Shah was quoted as saying.

The BJP's key election strategist also asked local leaders to appoint 10 workers for every polling booth.

These workers should remain active within the booth jurisdiction from Dussehra (October 12) until the last day of the campaign, Shah said.

"An organisation where workers function in different directions never succeeds. We need to address these differences before the elections," Shah stressed.

"The state BJP unit will draw up a plan ahead of the polls. Party workers should reach out up to the ward-level and it will ensure our victory," he said.

The senior BJP leader also asked workers to refrain from seeking votes when enrolling new party members.

"Do not ask new members to vote for the BJP when registering. Once they become members, they will realise the importance of voting. Party workers should aspire to add 20 new voters in every booth," he said.

"There are certain types of tasks which no one wants to undertake. However, a loyal party worker is one who takes up such critical tasks and completes them. Disagreement takes place when people start working together. We should be able to overcome such disagreements," Shah was further quoted as saying.

Bawankule later told reporters, "Shah has asked (Maharashtra BJP) to undertake 'Ghar Chalo Abhiyan', a campaign to reach every home in the state with the message of our government's development works."

Shah also called for strengthening the party's booth-level network and ensuring higher turnout in the upcoming elections, Bawankule said.

The BJP is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state that also includes the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

Last month, Shah visited the Vidarbha region where he engaged with party workers and local legislators, and also North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra.

In 2019, the BJP won 105 out of the 164 assembly seats it contested in Maharashtra. It had a pre-poll alliance with the then undivided Shiv Sena. Of the 36 assembly seats in Mumbai, the saffron party won 16.

But in the 2024 general elections, the national party fared badly, winning only nine of the 28 Lok Sabha seats it contested in the state.