BJP launches 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan' in UP

The Gram Swaraj Abhiyan campaign would continue till April 24, the day when PM Modi's speech will be broadcast live in all 52,000 gram panchayats.

Lucknow: Observing 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, BJP on Thursday launched 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan', an outreach campaign covering 52,000 village panchayats, ahead of 2017 assembly election.

"The party observes Ambedkar's anniversary as 'Samrasta Diwas' every year and with this it has launched a massive outreach campaign covering 52,000 village panchayats from today," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

The Gram Swaraj Abhiyan campaign would continue till April 24, the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech will be broadcast live in all 52,000 gram panchayats," he said.

BJP has already sent a message by appointing OBC leader Keshav Prasad Maurya as the state unit president.

Maurya today unveiled a statue of Ambedkar at Jhusi in Allahabad district and has started an extensive tour of the state.

During the campaign, achievements of Modi government would be highlighted along with the salient features of the Union budget. 'Samrasta' programme would be held upto April 16.

Pathak said a list of senior functionaries would be drawn to ensure that they visit at least 10 gram panchayats each.

Ahead of the campaign, the party plans to hold district-level meetings. During April 17-24, gram sabhas would be organised by district president and party incharges.

Special emphasis would be on gram panchayats where the party has not performed well in last Assembly elections, Pathak said.

BJP had won 73 seats, including two by its ally, out of 80 seats in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.