The Lok Sabha election is knocking on the door and the larger opposition has come under one umbrella INDIA with an intent to stop what is perceived to be unstoppable — the Narendra Modi juggernaut.
No wonder, the NDA isn’t sitting idle. While the prime minister has already addressed the brand new NDA constituents — 38 political outfits — where he gave a clarion call for next year’s election, he is also meeting NDA MPs in separate bunches behind closed doors to give zone-specific prescriptions of another win. So far, he has met MPs of Western (like Braj area) and Eastern (like Awadh area) Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, southern states, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand.
News18 has compiled five big messages that BJP’s campaigner-in-chief has delivered in his various meetings so far, many of which lasted beyond the stipulated time.
1. RAM MANDIR WON’T GET YOU VOTES
The prime minister knows that his party MPs, even NDA MPs, in the north of Vindhyas are particularly hopeful of electoral benefits when the Ram Mandir is thrown open sometime in January next year. He is also mindful of the complacency that may set in, particularly among BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh, where the party won 62 of 80 seats. No wonder his message was clear — Ram Mandir’s promise was from an ideological standpoint, not from an electoral perspective.
PM Modi went a step further to say that advertising about Ram Mandir in their respective constituencies won’t get votes. During his address on what not to do (which is equally important as what to do in polls), Modi is also believed to have referred to the abrogation of Article 370. He is learnt to have told the MPs that drumming up the issue will not be beneficial to them either. Then, what is to be done?
2. POVERTY IS THE BIGGEST CASTE
Addressing MPs in the new Maharashtra Sadan, the prime minister asked them to work for the poor and tell them about the pro-poor schemes the Centre has come up with. He told the MPs, “Garibi sable badi jaati hai” (poverty is the biggest caste).
The PM is mindful of the caste sensitivity in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In UP, PM Modi asked MPs to rise above caste considerations. A top BJP leader said: “Even by statistics, the prime minister is right. If one can segregate on economic conditions, the poor will be the single-largest electoral bloc.”
It comes as no surprise then that Modi also wanted the MPs to make people aware of the schemes so that the poor can take advantage of them. The Centre, in Modi’s second term, has initiated many schemes like Garib Kalyan Rozgaar Abhiyaan, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna and Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi scheme, targeting the economically marginalised.
3. SUBTLE MESSAGE: DON’T USE ‘INDIA’ FOR OPPN BLOC
Though he did not ask any MPs to stop using the term ‘INDIA’ for the opposition bloc, PM Modi made it clear that he does not prefer it himself. Rather, in his second meeting with MPs from West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, the prime minister pronounced the term as I.N.D.I.A. No wonder, MPs who attended the meeting also started using it in the same fashion.
Bengal MP from Balurghat and party state president Sukanta Majumder said: “The PM told us that the UPA was so tainted with scams like 2G and coal scam that it had to take refuge in I.N.D.I.A which is another form of UPA.” Even in Modi’s meeting with NDA MPs from Bihar, he targeted the opposition alliance bloc as “Ghamandia” (the alliance of the arrogant).
4. ‘ZABAN SAMBHAL KE’
The BJP post-2014 has been very particular in that it doesn’t want its ministers or MPs to be all over the media. One of the key messages the prime minister reiterated was to “stay away from the mic”. But the bigger point he underscored was to control their tongue, avoid giving unnecessary sound bites to the media and definitely stay miles away from creating or indulging in any controversy, say sources.
Addressing NDA MPs on Thursday, he asked, “Why to speak out of turn? What is the need?” Instead he advised them, “Let your work on the ground speak for itself”. The BJP faced some major embarrassments to even international crises for its leaders’ controversial remarks which includes Nupur Sharma’s statement on a TV channel which led to a diplomatic row with certain Islamic nations. However, News18 has learnt that the PM did not give any reference during his speech.
5. CALL CENTRES AND HASHTAGS
The prime minister asked MPs from Eastern UP to set up call centers in each constituency with immediate effect. During Parliament sessions or party work, MPs stay away from their respective constituencies when many constituents may need their help. Hence, call centers with dedicated numbers should be put in place through which they can reach their MPs with their grievance or problems at any given time, feels PM Modi. He even termed it ‘Sansad Samvad’, say sources.
He also stressed the need to have professional social media teams for every MP. “Be more proactive on social media,” he is learnt to have told them. An avid user of social media himself — who is available from Twitter to Instagram — Modi’s message was clear: “Counter opposition’s baseless allegations in real-time”.
He is also believed to have criticised freebies, which is increasingly a viral trend in Indian politics, as he has asked MPs to spend most of their time in their respective constituencies. However, the five bold messages were clear and articulated with precision by the prime minister.
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