BJP holds poll convention

Bhopal, Sep 25 (UNI) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party today organised a massive rally here to gear up the party machinery for the year-end Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh with a resolve to retain power.

Tens of hundreds of party workers from across the state assembled at the sprawling Jamboori Maidan here in a show of BJP strength which the party dubbed as 'Mahakumbh'.

BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, party chief Rajnath Singh and senior party leaders M Venkaiah Naidu, Anant Kumar, Thavarchand Gehlot and Sushma Swaraj were among the prominent leaders present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP state president Narendra Singh Tomar and party state general secretary Makhan Singh welcomed the the national leaders.

Party sources said the Mahakumbh was organised with an objective to revitalise the party workers to prepare them to give a befitting competition to the political rivals and to retain power with substantial majority.

The BJP convetion was held immediately after former chief minister Uma Bharati organised a massive 'Suraj Sankalp Rally' in a show of might to display the Bharatiya Jan Shakti's clout in the BJP-ruled state.

In the 2003 elections held under the leadership of Uma Bharti, BJP came to power with a record three-fourth majority. After remaining in power for less than a year, Ms Bharti was forced to quit office and later expelled from the BJP. Subsequently, she founded Bharatiya Jan Shakti and reiterated her resolve not to return to BJP giving tough time to the ruling party.

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