As Modi-phobia hits Congress and its allies, the BJP has decided to launch a unique programme to “cash in” on the popularity of its Gujarat Chief Minister. For Narendra Modi’s rally in Hyderabad next month, the BJP’s State unit has decided to charge Rs 5 each from all those interested in attending it. This is the first time in India that people will pay to attend a political rally.
At the same time, BJP’s youth wing also announced on Monday a two-phased campaign to enrol one crore Yuva Mitra. The first 500 youths doing maximum enrolment and 20 others who give best suggestions for 2014 campaign would get a chance to personally meet the Gujarat Chief Minister.
“Since the time BJP has made Modi as head of its Election Campaign Committee, country’s youth want to associate themselves with the BJP with great vigour,” BJYM chief Anurag Thakur said.
BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit also defended its decision to “tax” people for attending Modi’s rally. Party’s spokesman there said, “Other parties ferry people for their public meetings. The idea of collecting the nominal amount is to encourage seriousness and commitment. We will contribute the collected amount towards Uttarakhand relief.”
The registration process for the August 11 rally of Gujarat CM has already started and it will continue till August 10. Party plans to mobilise around one lakh people — mostly in the age group of 18 to 40 — for its rally at lal Bahadur Stadium in central Hyderabad. “About 40,000 people have already registered and the party hopes that it
will go up to at least 70,000,” Rao said.
The BJP has committed itself to a separate Telangana state, an emotive issue that has kept the Congress on the tenterhooks. The party aims to reach out to the large crowd of IT professionals and college students in the tech-savvy Andhra Pradesh capital.
Similarly, party’s youth wing will extensively use social media, internet, website, telephone numbers and mobile application to enrol Yuva Mitra. The first phase of enrolment will begin from July 15 and the second phase from July 23 coinciding with the birth anniversary of legendry Chandrashekhar Azad.
“First time voters, rural youths, backward and Scheduled Castes and Tribes and successful young men and women between the age group of 18 to 35 years will be enrolled on priority basis in this special campaign. Conference, seminars, rallies etc. will be organised to connect with the youth,” Anurag Thakukr said.
The BJYM will launch a telephone number 022-42961111 for its membership campaign. One can directly join BJYM by dialling this number. During the door-to-door membership campaign new members will have to fill up a form mentioning their details like Email id, social media profile and other information.
“Becoming helpless and disappointed from all sides young India is looking towards the BJP with great hope and expectation. In such circumstances being a national party with a nationalistic outlook it is our moral duty to become an alternative and fulfill their expectations and associate them with us,” Thakur said.
The BJP also launched a counter-offensive on the Congress for hitting out at Modi and alleged that the ruling party was lowering the level of political discourse by evading issues of good governance, development and corruption.
“The level of discourse -- be it in the social media or otherwise -- has been lowered by the Congress as it has evaded issues of development and good governance. Instead of responding to the questions raised by Modi, they ask questions about Gujarat... You cannot answer questions with questions,” BJP spokesperson Abhimanyu told reporters.
He claimed that the questions raised by the Congress are out of context and hoped that the ruling party will answer Modi’s charges. “We had hoped that the Congress will speak on the Bodh Gaya blasts, or relief and rehabilitation in Uttarakhand or the scams but the Congress only talks about Modi. This shows how much Modi-phobia and NaMo-nia Congress is suffering from,” Abhimanyu said.