NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to deploy a force of about 3,000-3500 Vistaraks (expansionists) across the country to strengthen the party, a move which comes as a part of a mega plan for the upcoming assembly elections in nine states and the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, sources said on Sunday.

This year is seen as crucial for the political parties as they prepare for the assembly elections in nine states in the run-up to the 2024 LS polls. Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh will go to assembly polls this year.

The BJP has its government (or in alliance) in six out of the nine poll-bound states while it is in Opposition in two states where Congress is in power (Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan) whereas Telangana is ruled by Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi.

“These vistaraks will work closely with the organization at the local level in each assembly and Lok Sabha constituency and will report directly to the central leadership,” sources said.

“They will also work closely with the local organization of the BJP and are also expected to prepare a ground report for the party ahead of the polls,” sources added. The BJP has fielded Vistaraks in all 119 assembly seats of Telangana. 

A few days ago, BJP had entrusted the responsibility to vistaraks in 160 weak Lok Sabha constituencies.As the countdown for the Lok Sabha elections due next year began with the start of 2023, the BJP has stepped up its preparations to reach out to all sections of society. The party`s OBC Morcha has decided to launch the ‘Gaon-Gaon Chalo, Ghar-Ghar Chalo’ program in March-April.

According to the sources, the OBC Morcha, an important part of the BJP, has started putting in efforts to reach out to the voters of the nine states that will go to Assembly elections this year. “With the support of the OBC community, the BJP wants to form the government in the states because there is 40 to 50 per cent participation of the OBC community in all the states and the Centre,” a source said. 

“The OBC Morcha will start the ‘Gaon-Gaon Chalo Ghar Ghar Chalo’ programme in the middle of March-April keeping in view the elections. Through this programme, OBC people be informed about the work done by the government for them which include decisions like 27 per cent reservation being given in NEET, and reservation being given in central education schemes,” the source added.

All the decisions pertaining to further preparations will be taken at the meeting of the OBC National Working Committee. “All the office bearers will go to every village and distribute these achievements to the people through pamphlets,” the source said. 

There will be a meeting of the national office bearers of the OBC Morcha in Haryana at the end of January in which decisions will be taken on the number of villages to be visited, the chunk of people to be contacted etc.