BJP to focus on door-to-door campaign for upcoming polls

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the upcoming elections in eight states, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning carry out doorstep campaigning to forge “emotional ties” with families, people aware of the details said.

On the concluding day of the two-day national office bearers’ meet, party president JP Nadda told the leaders to ensure that functionaries, including the panna pramukhs (electoral page in-charges), should not limit their interaction with local residents to election related issues, but try to forge emotional ties.

The BJP typically relies on doorto-door canvasing and buttresses it with social media outreach. Ahead of elections in 2023 in Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Karnataka and Mizoram, the party’s strategy is to intensify its campaign.

“The party president told the gathering that the aim of the outreach should be to learn about the concerns of the people, try to find solutions to their problems, and build a relationship. He said the families should not see the leaders as party people, but as family members who stuck by them through thick and thin,” a person privy to the meeting said.

Panna pramukhs have emerged as the BJP’S foot soldiers in strengthening the party’s presence on the ground. Each panna, or page, has details of about 30 families in a constituency, whose support is elicited to ensure electoral victories, the functionary said, declining to be named.

Detailed presentations on the poll preparations were made by the unit presidents of the pollbound states. “The discussions were detailed. Every aspect of electioneering was discussed and several suggestions were made on how to galvanise the cadre, take on the opposition and prepare to counter any issues that have the potential to dominate the poll narrative,” the functionary said.

All state units have been asked to hold state executive committee meetings in the next one week and replicate the meetings at the district level as well.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the meeting and asked party colleagues to ensure the G20 platform is used to showcase India’s culture and diversity, and ensure the implementation of social welfare schemes in far-flung areas, particularly the villages in border areas.

IN 2023, POLLS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN TRIPURA, NAGALAND, K’TAKA, MIZORAM AND MEGHALAYA