With the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for next year, both the major opposition parties (Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party) and the Bharatiya Janata Party are gearing up for a fiercely contested battle. While the opposition is seeking a potent alliance, the ruling BJP has launched the ‘Modi Mitra’ campaign with the aim of strengthening its influence within the minority community.
The BJP officially kicked-off the ‘Modi Mitra’ campaign of the party’s minority morcha in Uttar Pradesh as part of its efforts to connect with Muslims and build a closer relationship between the community and the party. The programme was inaugurated in Darul Uloom Deoband under the leadership of BJP Minority Morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui and Minority Morcha state president Kunwar Basit Ali.
Deoband was chosen as the launch site for the campaign due to its status as the largest centre of Islamic education in the country. “By selecting Deoband, the BJP aims to convey a powerful message, emphasising that the educated class within the minority community supports the BJP,” said Basit Ali.
During the upcoming programmes to be organised across the state, certificates will be distributed to the Modi Mitras and discussions will be held with beneficiaries who have been availing various schemes implemented by the Central government.
The Modi Mitra campaign seeks to engage individuals who are neither affiliated with the BJP nor aligned with any other political party. These individuals are recognised as Modi Mitras based on their status as beneficiaries of government schemes or their admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They are expected to promote the BJP’s working style and vision within the minority community.
Certificates will be presented to acknowledge the inclusion of these individuals as Modi Mitras, symbolising their role in strengthening the BJP Minority Morcha.
“The BJP’s focus extends beyond the upcoming elections. We aim to maintain continuous contact with these individuals to gather their opinions and report the ground-level influence of the party within the minority community to the party high command,” Basit Ali explained.
The campaign will be conducted in 65 Lok Sabha constituencies across the state. The BJP Minority Morcha has identified these constituencies, recognising the significant role played by the minority communities in these areas. Each constituency has been assigned an in-charge and 30 co-in-charges with the goal of enlisting around 5,000 Modi Mitras in each assembly constituency.
As part of their preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has set a target of enlisting approximately 3.25 lakh Modi Mitras.
“The ‘Modi Mitra’ campaign reflects the BJP’s unwavering determination to establish stronger bonds with the minority community, leveraging the support and influence of individuals who have directly benefited from government schemes and admire the prime minister’s initiatives,” added Basit Ali.