Amit Shah to visit Mumbai in June; to meet BJP workers

The state BJP has finalised a list of 1,000 intellectuals to be invited for interaction with Shah, Thakur said.

Mumbai, May 10: BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Mumbai in June and is likely to interact with intellectuals, party office-bearers and ministers. Shah, who will be in the city between June 16 and 18, is likely to interact with as many as 1,000 intellectuals.

Shah is currently on a 95-day all India tour. He is expected to interact with ministers, BJP office-bearers and intellectuals to know their perspective about the party during his visit. "We have almost finalised his schedule," said Maharashtra BJP general secretary Sujitsinh Thakur. "Amitbhai has instructed us to prepare the schedule in a way that every second of his time is utilised for party work," he said.

The state BJP has finalised a list of 1,000 intellectuals to be invited for interaction with Shah, Thakur said. "The entry at the venue will be by invitation only," Thakur said and added that invitees will be the people who have done excellent work in their respective fields. Shah has planned separate meetings with the leaders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and its affiliated organisations as well as the constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He will also meet the "future constituents" of the NDA, he said.

However, it is not yet clear whether he will hold one-to-one talks with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, said party sources. Shah also has asked the state unit to prepare a note on party's strengths and weaknesses in the state, where the BJP is heading its first-ever government.

"He is going to take a review of each and every Lok Sabha constituency with details on why the party had won/lost the seat in the last election," a BJP leader said. The BJP believes that its proposed 'vistarak' scheme will get a boost during Shah's visit.

Under the scheme, every office-bearer and minister is expected to work in areas apart from their own field for a fortnight. One vistarak will work in 10 booths and explain the social welfare schemes of the government at the Centre and the state to the common people. "The scheme will continue till September. We expect it to turn into a grand success," said Thakur.

PTI