BJP chief Nitin Nabin holds day-long meeting with party functionaries to discuss poll preparations in 5 states

NEW DELHI — A day after taking over new responsibilities, BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday held his first strategy meeting with office bearers of the party and reviewed preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in five states, including West Bengal.

At the day-long meeting, Nabin also asked the party functionaries to further strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and instructed them to counter the Congress "negative campaign" against the VB-G Ram G Bill by intensifying efforts to apprise the people about the benefits of the new rural employment guarantee scheme, sources said.

The party is already running a campaign across the country to counter the Congress' attempts to build a narrative against the scheme that replaced the UPA-initiated MGNREGA.

At the meeting, Nabin discussed with party functionaries how the campaign is being run across the country and made necessary suggestions to strengthen it further, the sources said.

In the meeting, which discussed a host of other issues, former BJP president J P Nadda was present along with senior leaders, including the party's national office bearers and state unit functionaries.

"Nadda also addressed the delegates and gave his guidance and suggestions on various issues discussed at the meeting," a leader said.