The BJP will go all out to highlight the ‘message’ of surgical strikes by the Indian Army through the platforms of ‘Ram lilas’, ‘Jagrans’ and ‘Vijaya Dashmi’ functions and the festive season ahead.
BJP leaders will also honour ex-armymen in the election bound States to celebrate the ‘new-found nationalism’.
The surgical strikes ordered by Modi Government on September 29 have made the BJP cadre buoyant. They are now tasked to spread the message of ‘nationalistic unity’ in all States, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. The six ‘Parivartan Yatras’ which the party is to undertake in Uttar Pradesh would also focus on ‘the confident India’ , ready to give ‘a resolute and unflinching response to the aggressor’.
“Army’s action would surely shift fence-sitters in Uttar Pradesh , Uttarakhand and to an extent in Punjab, to the BJP. There is no doubt about it,” according to a top BJP leader. Not only upper caste voters but others would also be influenced by the spirit of ‘Bharat Uday’ under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
The Prime Minister himself would move to lucknow on the ‘Vijaya Dashmi day’ - October 11 - and address party workers and the public there. The leaders in the State have been asked to carry the ‘Nationalist campaign’ from the State, district, mandal and village levels and use platforms of ‘Ram lilas’, ‘Jagrans’ and ‘Yatras’ to showcase ‘rising India’ under the Modi regime in the backdrop of military action. Many ‘Dusshera Pandals’ too will showcase Army’s action across the border.
For his part, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who would give his traditional ‘Vijaya Dashmi’ address is expected to laud ‘the new strategic and national security doctrine’ under the Modi dispensation. The RSS head’s speech on the day conventionally spells out Sangh’s official line on all issues.
Uttarakhand, a State which sends maximum number of recruits to the Indian Army, would witness BJP felicitating ex-servicemen and lauding their contribution to nation building.
The BJP’s strategists, who have been trying to focus on ‘nationalism’ as the main campaign theme that could tide over the multiple caste calculations in UP and other poll-bound States early next year, are only too happy with ‘the coincidence’ of the army strikes on the terrorist launch pads in Pakistan, ‘igniting national integration’ and shoring BJP’s poll spirits.