New Delhi: The Mahila Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday launched its ‘One Crore Selfies’ campaign to highlight how the Narendra Modi government’s schemes have impacted women beneficiaries, terming it the “biggest beneficiary outreach programme ever”.
Union minister Smriti Irani, a former Mahila Morcha president, launched the nationwide campaign in Maharashtra’s Sambhaji Nagar. Irani said the campaign is being organised at a time when India is scripting new chapters of progress based on the principle of Antyodaya (uplifting weakest sections of society) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm.
“This is bound to be a journey of connecting, learning, walking together, taking welfare politics to new heights and highlighting the role of Nari Shakti (women power) too,” she added.
The campaign was also launched simultaneously in district headquarters of the party across the country in the presence of at least 500 women beneficiaries at each location.
Interestingly, the Mahila Morcha stated in no uncertain terms that women beneficiaries must only be photographed after permission is sought from them. “The Mahila Labharthis’ (women beneficiaries’) photos should be taken only after seeking permission from them. The Mahila Labharthis should also be asked to share their name, scheme from which they benefitted, district and state,” read a circular issued by BJP Mahila Morcha president and Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan.
With this campaign, the Mahila Morcha aims to collect over one crore selfies of women beneficiaries over the course of one year and upload them on the NaMo App. For this, BJP’s state units have been directed to train women party workers how to use the NaMo App down to the mandal level.
The idea is to shore up the party’s popularity among women voters ahead of assembly polls in nine states later this year and the general election next year.
ThePrint had reported earlier that the Mahila Morcha also plans to organise training sessions to ensure women karyakartas (cadres) are up-to-date on all government schemes and can communicate the same to those who come to them with queries or seeking assistance. “Sometimes our own karyakartas may not be well-versed with government schemes. They should be well-equipped and knowledgeable about a particular scheme if a common citizen approaches them seeking help,” Srinivasan had said.
In addition, the BJP also has plans to organise tribal outreach programmes involving tribal women ambassadors, to increase awareness about various tribal welfare programmes initiated by the central government.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: How woman who vanquished Kamal Haasan in Coimbatore became BJP star campaigner in Himachal