GUWAHATI | The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped up its organisational preparations ahead of a series of autonomous council and municipal elections scheduled for next month. State president Dilip Saikia on Monday held a meeting with the party’s newly appointed in-charge and co-in-charges at its headquarters in Guwahati to review its poll preparedness.

The meeting, held at Vajpayee Bhawan in Basistha, focused on strengthening the party organisation ahead of elections to the Mising Autonomous Council, Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council, Tiwa Autonomous Council and MoranMatak Autonomous Council, besides municipal boards across the state.“We have made preparations for all these polls.

We also discussed the council elections and issues concerning the Sixth Schedule areas of Karbi Anglong,” Saikia said after the meeting.The organisational exercise comes against the backdrop of a reshuffle in the BJP’s state-level organisational responsibilities.

Former Bihar Cabinet Minister Mangal Pandey has been appointed as the party’s Assam in-charge, while Nagaland MP Phangnon Konyak and Manoj Tigga of Alipurduar have been named co-in-charges. The appointments were made by BJP national president Nitin Nabin.Saikia described the appointments as significant for the state unit, saying the three senior leaders had been entrusted with overseeing the party’s affairs in Assam.

The meeting also discussed ways to strengthen the party’s grassroots network, expand its political reach and prepare for the proposed “Gantantra Bachao, Arajakota Hatao” campaign.Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal welcomed the appointments and expressed confidence that the new leadership team would help expand the BJP’s organisational presence in the state.“Everyone in the BJP is happy that Pandey has been appointed as the in-charge, along with two co-in-charges.

I believe that the BJP’s strength will grow further in the coming days,” Sonowal said.The organisational review follows Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s October 28 meeting with representatives of the Moran, Matak, Mising and Sonowal-Kachari communities.

Discussions at that meeting centred on land rights and pending settlement cases, including land settlement in tribal areas, allotment of up to 50 bighas per family and a review of applications under Mission Basundhara 4.0.The All Assam Matak Students’ Union also raised demands for elections to the Matak Autonomous Council and Scheduled Tribe status for the community.Monday’s meeting was attended by state office-bearers, district presidents and party functionaries, along with representatives of the BJP’s various morchas.