BJP's shift from ‘Chai pe Charcha’ to ‘Coffee with Youth’ in Maharashtra. Here's why

The BJP subtly shifted its approach to attractingthe urban youth nationwide through a discussion platform where speakers interact with first-time voters.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to replace its digital outreach programme ‘Chai pe Charcha’ with ‘Coffee with Youth’ in Maharashtra to reach out to a larger young audience ahead of the Lok Sabha election scheduled to take place beginning next month.

These informal 'Coffee With Youth' sessions are set to take place in relaxed settings like gardens and cafes over coffee. (HT/File)

The BJP subtly shifted its approach to attracting the urban youth nationwide through a discussion platform where speakers interact with first-time voters. These informal 'Coffee With Youth' sessions are set to take place in relaxed settings such as gardens and cafes, over coffee served in mugs featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image, The Times of India reported.

Vikrant Patil, BJP's general secretary for Maharashtra, has said the party has prepared a comprehensive timetable for holding meetings with voters through more intimate interactions.

The earlier ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ initiative was a massive campaign launched by Modi across 1,000 tea stalls simultaneously before the 2014 elections. The upcoming coffee sessions will involve the Bharatiya Yuva Morcha (the youth wing), arranging meetings with groups of 150-200 young people from various backgrounds such as entrepreneurs, artists, and more.

The BJP has been holding similar meetings in villages since last month, under the banner name ‘Namo Yuva Chaupal’, where party leaders interact with youth in rural areas. As reported by Live Hindustan, through this initiative, the BJP plans to motivate young people to join the party by sharing its achievements.

The BJP is also scheduled to hold ‘NaMo Samvad ’ meetings in Shakti Kendras, each of which is likely to target 6,000 voters. Patil said, as per media reports, “At a convenient place, we shall call these 6,000 voters in an open area for an interaction. We shall be holding these meetings at 21,000 Shakti Kendras across the state, holding seven to eight meetings every day.”

Approximately 300 speakers are being prepared for this outreach effort, comprising regional BJP leaders, district leaders, as well as current and former MLAs.