New Delhi: Ministers, MPs and MLAs adopting families of soldiers killed in action, and pledging to redecorate their houses — this is among the BJP’s plans to mark the eighth anniversary of the Modi government in office this month.
While the Modi government was sworn in for its first term on 26 May 2014, its second term started on 30 May 2019.
Also among the activities that the BJP leaders and workers have been asked to choose from is having lunch at the house of a local influencer, and carrying out door-to-door outreach to showcase the achievements of the Modi government during the eight years.
BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs, state office-bearers, and workers at the mandal-level and above have been told to carry out public outreach activities for 75 hours in their respective booths, it is learnt.
“The party will showcase the political success stories of the last eight years,” a BJP functionary said.
As part of this exercise, a booklet-cum-report card will be launched by BJP president J.P. Nadda.
“There will be several programmes, including interaction with beneficiaries of welfare schemes. The party will also launch a rally called ‘Vikas Teerth Bike Rally’ in every district and visit all major infrastructure projects initiated by the Modi government,” a senior BJP leader told ThePrint.
However, while the BJP will go all out to showcase the successes of the longest-serving non-Congress government in power, the government celebrations will be muted, senior government functionaries told ThePrint.
At the government-level, individual ministries have been told to bring out report cards highlighting their achievements over the past eight years. The ministries have also been asked to compare, wherever possible, the achievements with what was achieved before 2014.
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‘Sombre mood’
The eighth anniversary comes in the backdrop of high inflation and a spurt in unemployment figures across India. It will also coincide with one year of the deadly second wave of the Covid pandemic that saw thousands of deaths across the country.
“The government is conscious of the fact that its eighth year coincides with the first anniversary of the devastating second Covid wave and the national mood would be very sombre at the moment,” a senior government functionary said.
The functionary pointed out that hardly any family was unaffected by the pandemic.
“Every other family would be remembering the passing away of some near-and-dear ones during the second wave. All communication related to the eighth anniversary has to reflect this sensitivity,” the functionary said.
According to the functionary, the government is mindful of the national mood, and also the high inflation, which is “worrisome”. “The anniversary celebrations will have to balance these realities. One can’t be extravagant,” the functionary added.
Eight themes to mark eight years
To mark the eighth anniversary, the government has finalised eight broad themes to highlight its successes.
One of the themes will be ‘ease of living’, under which the government will showcase schemes like Ujjwala, Direct Benefit Transfer, PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, and PM Awas Yojana that have improved the living standards of the poor.
“Though the entire world has been affected by the pandemic-induced economic crisis, the Modi government worked for the welfare of 1.5 billion Indians by ensuring food and health security through free vaccination and rations,” said a senior BJP member. “To mark this huge achievement, it has been decided to launch a special campaign called ‘8 Saal: Seva, Sushasan Aur Gareeb Kalyan (8 years: service, good administration, and welfare of poor)’.”
As mentioned above, the party has also provided a list of activities to leaders and workers from which they can choose what to do.
These include door-to-door outreach with achievement reports, beneficiary interactions, donation of a pot-and-sapling to beneficiaries on World Environment Day (5 June), and a ‘prabhat feri (morning rally)’ by BJP’s youth brigade, among others.
“Apart from this, an outreach programme among minorities will also be conducted wherein the BJP’s minority morcha chief will speak about minority-specific initiatives taken by the government,” a BJP leader said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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