Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The BJP has decided to use PM Narendra Modi as the party’s mascot in the upcoming assembly polls in six states. Utilizing this tried-and-true electoral strategy as part of the party’s “collective leadership” ethos, the BJP will highlight the accomplishments and popularity of PM Modi with the promise to speed up development works through double-engine government in the states.
Arun Singh, who is BJP’s national general secretary and in charge of Karnataka and Rajasthan, has recently validated the PM’s reputation as the world’s best prime minister in an interview with this newspaper. Singh had said, “It is only natural for the party to seek electoral support from the people on the PM’s face, which has evolved into a model of good governance and development-oriented politics.”
Senior party officials on Wednesday underlined that the PM has consistently served as the BJP’s election mascot and has proven to be “auspicious” for garnering the confidence of voters in every election. The assembly elections in PM’s home state -Gujarat and BJP national president JP Nadda’s home state –Himachal Pradesh, are due later this year while in Karnataka, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are due next year.
Sources also hinted, albeit indirectly, that party’s internal survey conducted recently across the poll-bound states, has hinted that no current CM in BJP-ruled state and no senior party leader in Opposition -ruled poll bound states, carry popularity amongst the electorates above 25% to win the people’s mandate.
In Telangana, Modi is more popular than TRS chief KCR in terms of having people’s trust in politics, according to a BJP insider. And the BJP does not have so far a leader who can counter KCR alone more effectively than the PM can do in very easy going ways before the people. “That was one of the reasons, the PM has addressed a public rally at the end of the party National Executive meeting held in Hyderabad”, said the BJP insider.
“Such dismal level of popularity of CMs of BJP-ruled poll-bound states is not sufficient to retain the mandates unless and until the PM face is collectively projected as party’s poll mascot”, said a reliable party source, adding that PM Modi’s popularity in poll-bound states has been found to be higher than party’s local leaders and CMs and Opposition’s all prominent leaders.
The PM’s recent ranking with more than 75% approval rate among world’s 23 leaders has come as an added point to the party to electorally convert it into getting fresh mandate and retaining power in party ruled states.
In many BJP-ruled states, there is lack of coronation and local organisation level, which the party does not admit on the record. In Congress-ruled Rajasthan, BJP is facing infighting between two groups of leaders. In this state also, the BJP will go to polls with PM as party poll mascot instead of projecting any local leader as the face.
NEW DELHI: The BJP has decided to use PM Narendra Modi as the party’s mascot in the upcoming assembly polls in six states. Utilizing this tried-and-true electoral strategy as part of the party’s “collective leadership” ethos, the BJP will highlight the accomplishments and popularity of PM Modi with the promise to speed up development works through double-engine government in the states.
Arun Singh, who is BJP’s national general secretary and in charge of Karnataka and Rajasthan, has recently validated the PM’s reputation as the world’s best prime minister in an interview with this newspaper. Singh had said, “It is only natural for the party to seek electoral support from the people on the PM’s face, which has evolved into a model of good governance and development-oriented politics.”
Senior party officials on Wednesday underlined that the PM has consistently served as the BJP’s election mascot and has proven to be “auspicious” for garnering the confidence of voters in every election. The assembly elections in PM’s home state -Gujarat and BJP national president JP Nadda’s home state –Himachal Pradesh, are due later this year while in Karnataka, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are due next year.
Sources also hinted, albeit indirectly, that party’s internal survey conducted recently across the poll-bound states, has hinted that no current CM in BJP-ruled state and no senior party leader in Opposition -ruled poll bound states, carry popularity amongst the electorates above 25% to win the people’s mandate.
In Telangana, Modi is more popular than TRS chief KCR in terms of having people’s trust in politics, according to a BJP insider. And the BJP does not have so far a leader who can counter KCR alone more effectively than the PM can do in very easy going ways before the people. “That was one of the reasons, the PM has addressed a public rally at the end of the party National Executive meeting held in Hyderabad”, said the BJP insider.
“Such dismal level of popularity of CMs of BJP-ruled poll-bound states is not sufficient to retain the mandates unless and until the PM face is collectively projected as party’s poll mascot”, said a reliable party source, adding that PM Modi’s popularity in poll-bound states has been found to be higher than party’s local leaders and CMs and Opposition’s all prominent leaders.
The PM’s recent ranking with more than 75% approval rate among world’s 23 leaders has come as an added point to the party to electorally convert it into getting fresh mandate and retaining power in party ruled states.
In many BJP-ruled states, there is lack of coronation and local organisation level, which the party does not admit on the record. In Congress-ruled Rajasthan, BJP is facing infighting between two groups of leaders. In this state also, the BJP will go to polls with PM as party poll mascot instead of projecting any local leader as the face.
