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Team Amit Shah gets down to work for Lok Sabha polls (BJP Part-II)
By Gautam Datt
New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah is known to be an expert in micro management of elections. The party’s ‘Mera booth sab se majboot (my booth the strongest)’ campaign reflects the grassroots-level penetration. He has chosen a team of leaders who have been silently working with an army of workers at the lowest level to ensure that the party remains far ahead of opponents. Some of the key people who are driving this campaign in electorally significant states are:
Sunil Bansal: State general secretary (organization). He is playing a crucial role in party’s poll management in Uttar Pradesh, the epicentre of the Lok Sabha 2019 battle. An organization in-charge is a key position on whom wrests the entire poll machinery. Bansal comes from Rajashtan, and has been an active member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP)and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He has been told to ensure the party’s organization in Uttar Pradesh remains robust. The party is up against an alliance of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) which had done well in the by-elections. There are around 1.63 lakh poll booths in Uttar Pradesh.
Saroj Pandey: National General Secretary and in-charge of Maharashtra, Saroj Pandey is Rajya Sabha MP from Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra is one of crucial states for the BJP where it has been able to save its alliance with Shiv Sena despite uneasy relations between the two parties over the years. Shiv Sena has been one of the most vocal critics of the Modi government. Pandey is said to have the backing of RSS. She was sent to Rajya Sabha despite the state unit not keen on her. She enjoys complete trust of the party’s leadership. She has also served as president of BJP’s Mahila Morcha (women’s wing).
Om Prakash Mathur (Om Ji): National vice president of BJP and one of the crucial members of Team Amit Shah. Om Ji is spearheading BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign in Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah’s home state and bastion Gujarat. The party has set an ambitious target of repeating its 2014 feat of winning all the 26 seats in the state. Belonging to Rajasthan, Om Ji is a complete organization man with a firm control over workers. He has been an RSS Pracharak for long before working for the BJP.
Hemanta Biswa Sarma: Assam Finance Minister. Sarma is one of the key men for the BJP to win the North-East. The BJP has set itself the target of sweeping the region and to achieve the goal, it will heavily rely on Sarma. Even as the party faces flak following widespread agitation over Citizenship Amendment Bill, Biswa is working hard to ensure that the issue is dealt with effectively so that the party can consolidate its position in the entire North-East. The Congress has been virtually uprooted from the region because of the efforts of Hemanta Biswa Sarma.
Piyush Goyal: Apart from being one of the key ministers in Modi government, Goyal also steered BJP’s alliance with AIADMK and PMK in Tamil Nadu. The party is trying to make inroads into the state which is electorally extremely significant. The alliance with AIADMK and PMK will boost the prospects in the wake of DMK and the Congress putting up a united fight. This is the first election in the state post Karunanidhi and J Jayalalitha — the two stalwarts of Tamil Nadu politics — in state politics. Goyal is a part of the inner team and is playing a key role in consolidating party’s position.
(Gautam Datt can be contacted at [email protected])
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.