Months ahead of legislative elections in the state, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to begin the construction of a state-of-the-art office in Madhya Pradesh. The new party office will be built in the state capital Bhopal and reportedly costs ₹1000 million ($12.1 million).
Confirming the development, Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V.D. Sharma said that the new office was being built as per the wishes of party workers on Friday.
"BJP had decided to set up an office in every district in the entire country, it was pending for a long time in Bhopal. Now as per requirement of the party workers, a new office is being built. The new office will be equipped with modern amenities with simplicity," V.D. Sharma told reporters in Bhopal.
The present BJP state office was built more than three decades ago and is said to be among the largest party offices in India.
President of the party J.P. Nadda will lay the foundation stone of the new ten-floor building after performing the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday. It will also house an auditorium for at least a thousand people.
The party has been in power in Madhya Pradesh for nearly 20 years since 2003, barring a brief spell of 15 months when Congress led the government from December 2018 to February 2020.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan who previously occupied the top chair in the state from 2005 to 2018 and has held the role since 2020, will be looking to secure another term at the end of this year.
Winning the state polls is crucial for the BJP, considering it will take place just three-four months before the national elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third straight term in office.