Kolkata, Jul 12 (IANS): Considering lack of training of the booth level workers as a major reason behind the defeat in the recently concluded assembly polls, the state BJP leadership has decided to train nearly 7,00,000 booth level workers before the forthcoming Municipal and Corporation elections.

In the recently concluded meeting of the state BJP leadership it was decided that the training will be conducted in two phases -- initially 50000 workers and volunteers will be trained in the first phase and then another 20000 workers and volunteers will get the training.

BJP sources said that the decision to conduct these special training workshops for the booth-level workers is the brainchild of BJP's national president, JP Nadda. For conducting the workshops two teams from BJP's IT cell and media cell have come to the state from New Delhi

"A directive in this regard from the central leadership has already reached the state committee. Accordingly, instructions have been forwarded to all the district presidents of the party in the state. For the time being ten booth-level workers for each both are being trained in a single phase," a senior state BJP leader said.

According to senior BJP leaders, the job of the booth level workers is very important not only on the election day but all through the year, "They have direct relations with the voters and they are the only people who can provide proper information to the state and the central leadership. So, it is very important that they are properly trained so that they work effectively for the party," another leader said.

It is learnt that the training will be conducted for all the 78,000 polling booths in the state. A target has been set for training 50,000 booth-level workers in the first phase. The state leadership has also been directed to regularly attend these training sessions. Some of these workshops have already started. They will be conducted in all the 39 organizational districts of the BJP.

These training sessions will continue for the next six months. After the first three months, those attending the workshops will have to appear for an examination. The BJP is trying to field only selected and well-trained booth level workers in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"The Municipal and Corporation elections will take place at any moment and we don't want the repetition of the same thing. We have the support of the people. They are frustrated with Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress but we need to convert this into votes and that's where the booth level workers play a very important role," a senior leader said.