Eyeing 2024 polls, BJP gives mega push to mass-connect campaign in U.P.
The BJP's 'Maha Jan Sampark' campaign in Uttar Pradesh, aimed at marketing the achievements of the party's governments, has been extended until July 18. The campaign includes door-to-door campaigns, public meetings, press conferences, and outreach programmes. The party hopes to use the campaign to strategize for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The ‘Maha Jan Sampark (mega mass connect)’ campaign started by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh on May 31 has been a mammoth exercise of over 40 days involving numerous outreach campaigns to market the achievements of the ‘double engine’ BJP governments at the Centre and in U.P.
On Sunday, the BJP leaders met at the party headquarters in the state capital to review the first round of the mega connect campaign that was to conclude on June 30 but has now been extended till July 18 to help the party plot strategies in UP till 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The sheer magnitude of the first round of the ‘Jan Sampark’ exercise bared the party’s plan. With 96, 415 door-to-door campaigns, 54, 664 ‘Sampark se Samarthan (contact for support)’ programmes, 403 tiffin meetings, equal number of veteran-cadre meetings, 80 public meetings and an equal number of intellectual and trader community meets, press conferences in all 80 Lok Sabha constituencies and separate press conferences held by MLAs in 392 of the 403 assembly segments, this was among the biggest ‘Jan Sampark’ campaigns undertaken by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh—a state so crucial to BJP’s plans for its third successive government at the Centre.
The triumvirate of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary along with the party’s general secretary (organisation) Dharmpal Singh have been at the forefront, devising strategies for mass-connect campaigns.
“Along with CM Yogi Adityanath ji and UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, it is the state general secretary (organisation) Dharmpal ji who has been silently working behind the scenes to better the party connect in the state. The planning that went behind the mass connect campaign in UP and the campaigns to be rolled out all are a result of that astute planning that goes on silently,” a BJP leader said.
In the BJP, the general secretary (organisation), whether at the national level or the state, is an extremely important one, filled by a full time RSS Pracharak on deputation to the BJP and who virtually acts as a bridge between the party and the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
Since 2014, Sunil Bansal, who has now been drafted full time into the BJP as national general secretary, had essayed the responsibility of being the backroom planner, silently executing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then BJP chief Amit Shah’s plans on the ground –a responsibility now entrusted with Dharmpal.
“Aware of the growing significance of social media in elections since 2014, a round of meets featuring social media influencers has already been held in all 80 Lok Sabha seats and more are being planned,” BJP leaders said.
“Organisational meets are a regular affair in the BJP. At today’s meeting, we reviewed various programme and planned future strategies,” said UP BJP Bhupendra Chaudhary after Sunday’s meet.
Party cadre accomplish most tasks
While the BJP leaders and cadre did clear most of the tasks set for them, in some cases the cadre fell marginally short of posting desired numbers, reason perhaps why the mega connect exercise has been extended.
While the party did achieve the desired numbers by holding 80 press conferences, equal number of trader, intellectual cell and social media influencer meets across all Lok Sabha seats, it fell one short of the 80 public meetings targeted by the BJP.
In ‘Sampark se Samarthan’ campaign, the BJP had planned 80,000 outreach campaigns but managed to hold 54,664. Similarly, all MLAs were to hold one press meet in each of the 403 assembly segments but fell just short as it could be held in 392 segments.
In Yoga day campaigns, Mann ki Baat outreach, campaign on party ideologue Syama Prasad Mukherjee ‘s birth anniversary, door-to-door contact and few other heads, the party leaders fell short of the targeted numbers.