Om Prakash Mathur, the BJP National General Secretary and architect of BJP victories in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra Assembly election has been made election in-charge of BJP in Jharkhand. Mathur, after being appointed as election in-charge of State is to visit Ranchi next week for overseeing BJP poll preparations. Mathur will be in Ranchi for two days and will hold meeting with senior leaders and party cadres giving them matra on how to attain the target of 65 plus in year-end Assembly election.

Senior BJP leader from Bihar and road construction department minister in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet Nand Kishore Yadav has been made his deputy. Yadav said, “The State election in-charge Om Prakash Mathur is to visit Jharkhand soon for overseeing BJP poll preparations in State.”

Sources said that the appointment of Mathur assume importance as he is one of the few leaders in Saffron party’s rank and file who is close to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah. By appointing Mathur as election in-charge, the BJP central leadership will have direct control on party affairs in poll bound state.

A senior BJP leader from State requesting anonymity said, “Om Prakash Mathur is eyes and ears of Modi and Amit Shah. With the appointment of Mathur as BJP election in-charge, the party wants to give a message that the central leadership will have direct control of all the affairs of party right from selection of candidates to preparing strategies for party pre and post election.”

The BJP leader claimed, “It was Mathur who lead the party victories in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat by projecting the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in these three States. The victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll was special as Mathur’s strategy helped the BJP in not only making dent on Bahujan Samaj Party BSP’s vote base (Non-Jatavs Dalit), but also created fissures in OBC vote bank of Samajwadi Party (SP) which helped the BJP in coming back to power after more than twenty -five years.”

Mathur, who has been groomed by senior BJP leader and former Vice President late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat off late has emerged as BJP trouble shooter. Sources said that Mathur during his visit to State will give tips on membership drive and preparing strategy for year-end Assembly poll.

The BJP has set a target of enrolling 25 lakh members in State. Under the membership drive all MLAs have been asked to make 50,000 members in each constituencies, also the areas where there is no BJP MLAs, the task has been assigned to district presidents.

Sources said that the BJP election in-charge will also ask BJP cadres/members to focus on booth level management for winning the election. Directions on booth jeeto chunav jeeto will made to BJP cadres.

The BJP in last Lok Sabha election has won 12 Lok Sabha seats out of 14 seats and based on which the party has set a target of winning 65 plus Assembly seats.