As people across the country cope with death and disease in a devastating second surge of the pandemic, the BJP’s top leadership has begun drawing up plans for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due next year.

Worried that the failures of the Narendra Modi government and the Yogi Adityanath government could impact the voters’ mood, the top leadership is holding strategy sessions to devise ways to improve their image.

Modi, who was busy with electioneering in Bengal when the second wave was surging through the country, last week held a virtual interaction with doctors and frontline workers from Varanasi at which he appeared to choke while offering condolences for those who had died of Covid.

Many deaths across the country resulted from a shortage of oxygen and hospital beds, both of which are being blamed on lack of planning by the Modi government despite warnings. The government also failed to place advance orders for vaccines.

Last week’s online interaction was seen as part of corrective measures to win the trust of the people. Modi is the Lok Sabha MP from Varanasi, where bodies have been found floating in the Ganga.

Adityanath, too, has started touring and inspecting Covid management across the state. Party leaders in Delhi claimed Adityanath has been asked to do so and improve the image of his government. A section of party leaders feel some big changes in the state government could also take place.

Uttar Pradesh is among the states worst affected by the pandemic, its situation captured in photographs of countless bodies buried on the banks of the Ganga.

“To win India in 2024, we have to win Uttar Pradesh in 2022,” one BJP leader said, claiming the party machinery has been asked to go out in the field and win the trust of the people. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats.

After the resounding defeat in Bengal, the outcome of the Uttar Pradesh polls next year would set the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“We can’t deny that our leaders and workers are missing when people are suffering due to Covid. It was particularly serious in Uttar Pradesh,” a BJP MP from the state said. He said the state machinery had collapsed and even senior party leaders were helpless.

Not only the Opposition, even ruling BJP members have been speaking out against the handling of the Covid crisis.

Union labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar, who represents Bareilly in the Lok Sabha, wrote to Adityanath to complain about Covid mismanagement in his district.

Sitapur’s BJP legislator Rakesh Rathore said he was scared that sedition charge may be slapped against him if he spoke about Covid mismanagement.

The outcome of the panchayat polls, held in the middle of the raging pandemic, set alarm bells ringing in the BJP leadership.

Parties unofficially field and back candidates in panchayat polls. An assessment has shown that candidates backed by the Samajwadi Party won the largest share of seats while the BJP came second.

“The panchayat poll results have shown that we have lost a lot of support since the last Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. The anger among the people due to Covid mismanagement could further change the mood of the voters,” one BJP MP said.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has asked its cadres to go out and help the people.

Party leaders said the Bengal defeat has shocked the top leadership and all out efforts would be made to ensure an emphatic victory in Uttar Pradesh.