NEW DELHI: Armed with the Surat model, the BJP is going all guns blazing in its Delhi election campaign to wrest hold of the winning narrative after losing five states in recent state polls. With Union Minister Amit Shah holding the fort — Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold just one rally — the saffron outfit is making desperate attempts to cash in on the anti-incumbency against the Aam Admi Party (AAP) legislators.
Even though Delhi is not a full-fledged state, with land and police vested with the Centre, the BJP is seeking to clip the wings of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who, with another victory, could become a potent challenge for the saffron outfit. By Tuesday, the BJP has clocked 1,837 public meetings in the national capital, which is unheard of for the party in recent years. With the duo of Shah and BJP chief J P Nadda logging in 50 public rallies and roadshows, the key strategists of the saffron outfit said they’re replicating the 2017 Surat model.
“In the 2017 Gujarat elections, the traders were up in arms against the BJP on account of demonetisation hurting their businesses. The BJP had then changed the tack and unleashed a massive outreach with smaller meetings to connect with the people to answer their concerns... In the end, Surat helped the BJP retain power in Gujarat, while the Congress staged a significant comeback in the rural parts,” said a saffron strategist.
So, the target for the BJP is to connect with 20 lakh people directly in the city, with Shah-Nadda touching base with all 70 Assembly constituencies. The CMs of BJP-ruled states, including Yogi Adityanath (UP), Jairam Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) and Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand) have been slotted to swing the Purvanchali (migrants from UP and Bihar) and the electorate from the neighbouring hill states.
The BJP seemingly is keen for a victory in Delhi under its belt to bolster negotiation with ally JD(U) in Bihar, besides gaining the upper edge in the state elections later this year. The party will mount a spirited attempt to wrest power in West Bengal next year and defend Assam in the face of the Citizenship Amendment Act sharply polarising the Northeastern state. With future prospects in mind, BJP’s star campaigners, including former CMs Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Devendra Fadnavis, are slogging out in the national capital.
Saffron gameplan
Rallies & roadshows by Amit Shah and J P Nadda: 40 (target 100) Plan to hold 10,000-12,000 public meetings to connect with minimum 20 lakh electorate Banking on polarisation and anti-incumbency against AAP