BJP adds one lakh members every day: Modi draws millions to the Lotus as polls approach




It could be the biggest crore of them all in Elections 2014, the turbo boost that powers the Bharatiya Janata Party home in the last lap. The BJP has enlisted no fewer than 10 million new members in the last four months alone; that's almost a lakh every day.



The most significant part of the BJP's explosively growing ranks is that a fifth of the new members are active volunteers; almost twice the strength of the Indian Army.



A series of clever initiatives launched by the party to spread the 'Narendra Modi for Prime Minister' message in the afterglow of the impressive saffron performance in the Assembly elections of December 2013 is behind this manpower miracle.



Thousands surrounded Narendra Modi's cavalcade as he made his way to file nomination papers in Vadodara

Among the saffron party's initiatives were 'Mission 272+', 'NaMo for PM', and 'One Note One Vote', and more recently 'Chai Pe Charcha'. The fresh 10 million saffron volunteers take the total count to about three crore, and growing.



Speaking to Mail Today, BJP president Rajnath Singh said: "There is a lot of excitement among people as the BJP is all set to win this election under the leadership of Narendra Modi. People in large numbers have pledged support to the party through online and on-ground initiatives and this has given major boost to the party."



The objective



Speaking about the BJP's initiatives, Singh said that the "main objective is to reach out to maximum number of people, and the volunteers have helped a lot in this regard. They have become strong footsoldiers of the party to accomplish Mission 272+."



Senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar - whose faceoff with Infosys founder Nandan Nilekani of the Congress in Bangalore South is one of the most keenly-watched contests of the elections - told Mail Today: "Our objective is to reach every household and spread the message of 10 years of Congress misrule. It is clear that people want change, and rise in BJP membership is only an indication that an electoral tsunami is sweeping across the country."



All these initiatives were launched after the saffron party registered victory in three states. The party wanted to capitalise on the prevailing mood of the country and launched 'Mission 272+', strategically linking it with the 'NaMo for PM' message that reverberated nationwide.

Various membership drives were launched wherein people could become members even after giving a missed call. There were programmes like 'One Vote, One Note' under which BJP workers could collect funds from people as low as Rs 10 to a maximum of Rs 1,000 for the campaign.



Arvind Gupta, head of party's IT wing, said: "Over one crore people have become members under India 272+ initiative of the BJP. Out of them about 20 lakh people are working actively for the party reaching out to voters. The members are from across the country."

A party leader said that people from all sections like engineers, doctors, academicians, business executives and businessmen have shown interest in getting attached to the party and helping it accomplish the mission.



"Their work also includes enabling the most sophisticated digital platform for booth-level organising and campaigning with the goal of winning every booth. They also connect with volunteers within constituency to take Mission 272+ to the local level," he said.



Similarly, there are various groups of volunteers whose job is to seek and harness best expertise in varied fields, collaborate with other like-minded volunteers and join group discussions. Moreover, every group has specialised tasks, based on the nature of the Group.

"Every volunteer contributes; based on his or her skills, time and location. The mantra is: 'Take up Tasks; Let your Creativity Bloom and Strength to Mission 272+'," he added.

Volunteers have been trained to ride online and field campaigns for disseminating the stuff of Modi's vision across the cities. They have also been told to inform the people about the developmental work done by Modi in Gujarat.



"Modi is being appreciated everywhere in the country. This is the reason that he has become a youth icon. Now the youth should come forward in large numbers to support Modi," said Gupta.

The final checks

Election officials check electronic voting machines (EVM) at a distribution centre in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

The NCR city, along with 90 other constituencies across the country, goes to the polls today (Thursday).



Elections are being held in nine phases from April 7 until May 12 and the results will be declared on May 16.

Election officials check electronic voting machines at a distribution centre in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Sonia slams Modi 'the magician'

K.H. Muniyappa seeks the blessings of Sonia Gandhi during an election rally in Kolar

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at the BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi, saying he was being projected as "a magician with cure for all ills plaguing the country".



"These days, all over the country huge and costly ads have been put up and an attempt is being made to hide the truth. The true face of one person is being hidden behind a mask. He is being projected as a cure for all ills and as a magician for the country," Sonia said in a veiled reference to Modi while addressing a massive gathering in Kolar.

The Congress chief was quick to bring up the Snoopgate controversy.



"The BJP delivers lectures and discourses on religion and ethics. But what is happening in Gujarat? You have witnessed how the personal lives of women were played with under their rule, and how much shame it led to across the country. Various atrocities are being committed on our sisters in Gujarat. This is their real face," she said.

At the same time, she criticised the 'Gujarat model' of development, claiming that it had not improved the quality of basic amenities in the state.



"Some people are making tall claims about the development in Gujarat as if no good work is taking place in other states. Then, why are children dying because of malnutrition? This claim of development is fake," she said.

Sonia added that the BJP government had hardly done anything.



"They don't believe in unity in diversity. They divide hearts. They make brothers fight against each other. Please tell me, can you expect nation building from people who don't believe in secular principles?" she asked.



In Mysore too, Sonia made indirect reference to Modi and the BJP.



"We, the Congress, have always aimed for inclusive growth. But look at them… they want to benefit by creating hatred for one another. People should not fall trap to such evil designs," she said.

Show of strength in Vadodara

By Darshan Desai in Vadodara

In a typical show of strength not new to him and Gujarat, BJP's PM hopeful Narendra Modi on Wednesday filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections from Vadodara, considered to be the best bet for the saffron party in the state.

Sporting a flamboyant red sleeveless Nehru coat over an off-white kurta and perched atop an open jeep, Modi waved at thousands of enthusiastic supporters as his cavalcade snaked its way from the Kirti Stambh to the District Collectorate.

Modi files his nomination papers in Gujarat

Kirti Stambh (statue of fame) is a structure built in 1935 to commemorate 60 years of rule of Sayajirao Gaekwad III.



Adept at picking such symbols, Modi was quick to tell his supporters in a three-minute speech after filing his nomination that the royal Gaekwad family of Vadodara was known for its visionary administration.



Speaking in Hindi, he exhorted the people of the constituency to vote in full steam on April 30 for the BJP's victory.



Again, symbolically, among the five persons who formally proposed his candidature was a local tea vendor Kiran Mahida and Shubhanginidevi Raje-Gaekwad from the erstwhile royal family.

Talking to reporters later, Kiran said: "I am indeed happy and proud that Narendra bhai recognises me even in a crowd. He asked me 'how are you Kiran'."

Vadodara has been a BJP bastion ever since 1991 (except in 1996) and its incumbent Balkrishna Shukla had defeated his Congress rival by over 1.36 lakh votes - more than the one lakh victory margin of Advani and the highest in Gujarat - in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Then, six out of seven MLAs elected from the Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency in 2012 are from the BJP and an Independent candidate who won from Savli constituency subsequently joined the saffron party.

