New Delhi: Ahead of the Bihar elections, the BJP Saturday launched its poll campaign themed on Bihari pride and making the state atma nirbhar (self-reliant) on the lines of Modi government’s ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ pledge.
As part of the campaign, the party also launched a toll-free number to seek suggestions from people on how to make Bihar self-reliant in the next five years. The suggestions will then be incorporated in their poll manifesto.
The party also launched a theme song, which will be played in their campaign vans flagged off by BJP national president J.P. Nadda while launching the party’s campaign in Patna.
These vans will travel across districts for crowd-sourcing of suggestions, said party leaders.
During the programme, Nadda asked BJP workers to become brand ambassadors of the atma nirbhar campaign and also lead the election campaign.
“Bihar has always been a leader in civil services, judiciary. In every part of India and the world, people of Bihar have outperformed others, then why can’t Bihar become atma nirbhar?” asked Nadda.
“Our BJP workers have to take the lead in becoming the brand ambassadors for promoting Bihari products, create employment, establish supply chains, and come up with ideas on how to market products like makhana, litchis. It is the party workers’ duty to make the campaign successful. The PM has launched various schemes, you should utilise them in promoting the atma nirbhar concept,” said Nadda.
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Toll-free number for engagement and suggestion
The BJP wants to promote its toll-free number — 6357171717 — with #AtmaNirbharBihar2020 on all social media platforms to seek people’s suggestions and a build road map for the next five years.
Party leaders said one needs to give a missed call to the number, following which he will be contacted by BJP members to seek his suggestions. The BJP also launched a website for this purpose.
These measures will increase people’s engagement with the BJP’s election campaign, they added.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for products that are unique and popular in Bihar like makhana, litchis, Bhagalpuri silk, Madhubani paintings, while virtually inaugurating projects along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Radha Mohan Sharma, vice-president of Bihar BJP, said:“The party has invited suggestions and ideas on how to make Bihar more atma nirbhar, how to make Bihari products more competitive in the global market, and how to make Bihari migrant workers self-sufficient while using government schemes.”
On the toll-free number, he said: “The party wanted to sense the pulse of people through this missed call campaign.”
The theme song
The BJP has launched a two-minute song underlying the party’s campaign themes.
“Vikas ki bari, hum Bihari, bujhaye duniya sari, jan jan ki pukar, atmanirbhar Bihar (This is the turn of Bihar for development, we are Biharis and we will make the world understand that we want to make Bihar self-reliant)” — goes the opening lyrics of the song.
आगामी विधानसभा चुनाव के लिए बिहार भाजपा की तरफ से थीम सांग आज भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @JPNadda ने लांच किया। इसे 'आत्मनिर्भर बिहार' को ध्यान में रखते हुए तैयार किया गया है। @sanjayjaiswalMP@byadavbjp@SushilModi #AatmanirbharBihar pic.twitter.com/xia0ltns5Z
— BJP Bihar (@BJP4Bihar) September 12, 2020
The song is divided into two parts — one focuses on the developmental works of the NDA and the other on Bihari pride.
The first part of the song’s video has visuals of girls cycling to schools, farmers getting piped water, uninterrupted electricity, road connectivity, and gas connection.
The second part focuses on how Biharis are the pride of India, how their participation in every field has contributed to the national growth and how they are standing with PM Modi.
The campaign video also says that from former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Modi — BJP has always supported Bihar’s dreams.
In one of its campaign posts on Twitter, the BJP has mentioned Bhawana Kanth of Darbhanga district, who is the country’s one of the first female fighter pilots, to invoke Bihari pride.
बिहार देश की शान है, जान है और प्राण है।
गर्व से कहो हम बिहारी हैं, आगे बढ़ने की अपनी बारी है।
जल, थल और नभ में बनना है हमें आत्मनिर्भर! #AatmnirbharBihar pic.twitter.com/azmsYW6fVo
— BJP Bihar (@BJP4Bihar) September 12, 2020
The party will also use the story of successful Biharis in the field of business, education, and armed forces to push its theme of Bihari pride in the coming days, said a BJP leader.
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Nadda cautioned ‘overconfident’ leaders
While participating in the Bihar election management committee’s meeting Friday, Nadda cautioned senior leaders to not be overconfident over Modi’s popularity, said the above-mentioned leader.
During the meeting, for more than 30 minutes, Nadda listened to the preparations and strategies made by the members of the recently formed election management committee, he added.
Members of the committee said the mahaul (situation) is in the party’s favour and the PM’s popularity is rising.
“A few of them also raised the point that we would have still won the election if we would have fought it independently. After listening to the leaders, Nadda told the BJP leaders not to be overconfident,” the party leader said.
Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who has been made the in-charge of the election campaign, and state BJP chief Bhupendra Yadav, among others, were present at the meeting.
“We are in alliance and we have to ensure victory of all NDA candidates from all seats. But in election, we should not be overconfident, keeping in mind the PM’s popularity. We should focus on winning every booth and tell people how the PM has continuously worked for Bihar during the Covid crisis, how he implemented skill-mapping schemes for migrant workers’ employment, dispatched food grains for the poor and launched programmes to make Bihar atma nirbhar,” said a second BJP leader quoting Nadda.
Meanwhile, Nadda Saturday met Nitish Kumar and discussed the initial seat-sharing arrangements, which, party leaders said, will now be taken forward by Fadnavis and Bhupendra Yadav with JD(U) leaders in the next few days.
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