Mohan Lal Badoli calls on PM Narendra Modi, discusses Haryana Assembly poll, party matters

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, July 22

Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time after taking over as party chief and discussed issues related to organisation and Assembly elections in the poll-bound Haryana.

Badoli said he held discussions with Prime Minister on the political and organisational matters. “In the run-up to the Assembly polls, I took guidance from the Prime Minister on poll-related issues besides the organisational matters,” Badoli told The Tribune.

The meeting between the Prime Minister and Badoli, which lasted about 30 minutes, assumes significance as the party is keen that Modi should launch its poll campaign for the Assembly elections. In fact, Badoli is reported to have indicated this to Modi today though a formal invitation would be sent to him later after the state party unit works out various modalities of the visit.

With below par performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, in which the party was able to retain only 5 of the 10 seats as compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party feels start of the campaign by the Prime Minister would give it a headstart vis-à-vis the Opposition parties, especially the Congress.

With strong anti-incumbency staring the BJP in the face, the party is keen that Modi should launch its poll campaign as it tries its level best to form the government third time in a row in the state.

During the 2014 and the 2019 Assembly elections, Modi had kick-started the party’s election campaign, which apparently stood the BJP in good stead. The BJP relies on the “Modi factor” in the state elections as Prime Minister’s ‘connect’ with its people is well-known given the fact that Modi had worked as Haryana incharge for a number of years in the 1990s.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Haryana also met PM Modi. The MPs, including Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Rao Inderjit Singh, discussed the ground political situation with Modi ahead of the Assembly poll.

Why BJP wants Modi to kick-start campaign

• To beat anti-incumbency in the Assembly elections. “Modi factor” is a major vote catcher for the saffron party
• The BJP campaign launched by Modi in 2014 and 2019 had paid rich dividends to the party
• The BJP wants to cash in on the PM’s ‘connect’ with state people as Modi worked as Haryana incharge in the 1990s