Ayodhya to Mathura: BJP's new poll hub

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to host a two-day Chintan Baithak, or strategy meeting, in Mathura from October 3-4 in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections. This marks the first comprehensive party meeting with the entire BJP leadership, including the newly appointed party in-charge Vinod Tawde and four co-in-charges. Attendees will include BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UP state BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary, and other senior leaders from the region.

The selection of Mathura as the meeting venue highlights the BJP's importance placed on the Braj region. The assembly elections will be notable as the Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya will no longer be a political issue, as the temple has already been completed. Party insiders suggest that the BJP now aims to expand its campaign beyond Ayodhya, particularly following a recent incident of donation theft at the temple.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has repeatedly emphasized that the turn for development in the state is now Mathura, positioning it as the new religious center. The BJP has historically shown strong electoral performance in the Braj region. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party secured 12 out of 13 seats in the region, while in 2024, they won eight.

In the 2022 assembly polls, the BJP captured 53 assembly seats out of 65 in the region, a slight decrease from the 57 seats won in 2017. Recently, Yogi Adityanath visited Mathura during the Janmashtami festival, and BJP president Nitin Nabin paid his first visit to the city on January 20. State BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary, since assuming his role on December 14, has already made a visit to the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura and initiated his Braj tour on December 27.