The BJP on Sunday rolled out something of a charm offensive to gain people’s support for the controversial citizenship law.

The party launched its campaign to mobilise public opinion in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) with a workshop for party workers, leaders, MPs and newly elected MLAs at its Harmu headquarters.

Here, Union minister of skill development and entrepreneurship Mahendranath Pandey said that the CAA was meant to grant citizenship to religious minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who flee to India facing religious persecution in their country. Accusing the Congress and other Opposition parties of creating fear in the minds of Muslims in India that their citizenship will be taken away, he charged them with vote bank politics.

Later, the BJP held door-to-door campaigns in Harmu and Argora. The party also decided to host awareness rallies in Ranchi, Palamau, Dhanbad, Dumka and Jamshedpur between January 15 and 20.

Raghubar comeback

In an unprecedented move, the BJP central leadership on Sunday asked former CM Raghubar Das to convene the meeting of newly elected MLAs. Das, who lost the Assembly poll, was asked to tell the MLAs that election for the leader of the BJP legislative party would be held after January 14.

It proved that Das had not lost his currency in the party despite losing his Jamshedpur East seat to party rebel and former cabinet colleague Saryu Roy, and being widely accused of arrogance that led to the BJP’s defeat this time.

A three-day Assembly session of the new Hemant Soren-led government will start from Monday, where the BJP is single largest Opposition party with 25 members. The BJP MLA elected as leader of the legislative party will be the leader of the Opposition.

A BJP MLA said election for the post would be held after January 14 “to avoid the inauspicious period”. “For now, no one will occupy the seat designated for the leader of the Opposition. MLAs Neelkanth Singh Munda, C.P. Singh and Anant Ojha will jointly decide strategy of the party on the floor of the House,” he said.