'Grassroots outreach, youth connect': BJP outlines strategy for 2027 assembly polls

New Delhi: BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday chaired a meeting with the party's newly appointed office-bearers to discuss organisational preparations for the 2027 assembly elections in several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The meeting took place at the BJP headquarters and was attended by senior party functionaries, state unit presidents and state in-charges, according to sources cited by news agency PTI.

The discussions centred on strengthening the party's grassroots presence and connecting with young voters, particularly in states scheduled to go to the polls next year. Sources said the party is looking to bolster its booth-level network and engage more with first-time voters.

"It's a crucial meeting to discuss a range of organisational matters with prime focus on the party's preparations and strategy for the upcoming elections in states next year," a source told PTI.

Assembly elections are due in 2027 in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Himachal Pradesh. The BJP currently governs four of these states — Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Goa. The Aam Aadmi Party holds power in Punjab, while the Congress leads the government in Himachal Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh elects 80 members to the Lok Sabha and Gujarat 26, making these states politically significant.

The meetings come against the backdrop of an organisational overhaul, with Nabin having held his first interaction with the newly appointed office-bearers and members of the previous national team on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the BJP headquarters on Saturday and interacted with all 67 newly appointed national office-bearers, with the session lasting over five hours. According to PTI, Modi listened to each office-bearer and offered suggestions, urging the new team to expand outreach, connect with young people and increase its grassroots presence.

"Organisational meetings are all about new ideas and perspectives aimed at strengthening the Party and deepening connect with the people. Great interaction with fellow party colleagues and the new organisational team," Modi said in a social media post.

The office-bearers' meeting on Saturday also passed a resolution criticising the Congress over its decision to sing only two stanzas of "Vande Mataram" at party events. The BJP said it would protect the "dignity and the national status" of the full version of the national song and announced a nationwide campaign to highlight its significance.

In a 10-point resolution, the BJP said it would educate and mobilise people, particularly the younger generation, about all six stanzas of Vande Mataram and its history. The party also argued that a resolution of the Congress Working Committee cannot override constitutional institutions or laws enacted by Parliament.

"A political compromise of 1937 cannot be elevated above the constitutional settlement of 1950 and legislation enacted by Parliament in 2026," the BJP said in its resolution.

Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, is India's national song. Its full version comprises six stanzas. The Congress's decision to use only the first two stanzas at its events has drawn criticism from the BJP, which plans to run a campaign to educate people about the song's history and complete version.

The BJP has not yet announced candidates or alliances for the upcoming polls. Further organisational meetings are expected in the coming weeks as the party fine-tunes its election strategy.