Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh set to finalise BJP's poll strategy today

New Delhi, Aug 18: BJP leaders Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh were set to finalise the party's campaign plans for the four crucial assembly elections later this year and the big national election next year at six-hour brainstorming session here.

Modi, BJP's poll campaign chief and Singh, its president, will review the working of the 20 high-profile poll committees set up last month. Other top leaders of the party were also attending the meet.

The meeting was called a mini-national executive of the party where the leaders would offer their suggestions. Sources said that Modi is keen to put the campaign and coordination plan at work by the time the notification for the assembly elections are made. The party expects the notification to be made by the third week of September.

The party is expected to announce Modi as its PM candidate by then so that his popularity factor can be cashed in the state elections. The Bihar unit of the BJP has already demanded a formal naming of Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate for the next year's Lok Sabha polls.

On Saturday, Modi, along with senior BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, met the party spokespersons to work on a media strategy. Modi asked the spokespersons to prepare themselves before taking on the media questions. He also sought better coordination between the central and state media wings. The Gujarat chief minister backed expert voices and said everybody need not speak on every issue.

The spokespersons were also asked to raise issues that would corner the ruling coalition at the Centre led by the Congress. They were advised to ask tough questions on the UPA government's nine-year rule at the Centre.

OneIndia News