The Bharatiya Janata Party has roped in the Commonwealth Games’ medal-winning wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat, Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan, and several other achievers from different fields to shore up its fortunes in the high-stakes civic body elections next month.
Sources on Friday said the party’s campaign for the polls, scheduled for April 22, will be a star-studded one. They added that talks were on with cricketer Shikhar Dhawan for canvassing.
“We are going all-out in the civic polls and have set a very high target for our party. Our triumphs in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have given fresh impetus to our workers and volunteers. To add to that strength, we’re bringing in big faces as well,” a source added.
New Delhi: A labourer fixing a loudspeaker as preparations are underway for BJP President Amit Shah's forthcoming mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Friday. PTI Photo by Atul Yadav (PTI3_17_2017_000221A)
The BJP is betting big on the Delhi civic polls. In fact, party chief Amit Shah, general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal and Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu are slated to address a convention of polling booth in-charges at Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday.
“We want our biggest leaders and most famous faces to address the public. We hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the crowd at least once. We’re going to write to him requesting his presence. Nonetheless, he is our guiding force,” BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari told journalist.
Indian Bollywood actor Ravi Kishan attends the opening ceremony of the 5th Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai on September 14, 2014. AFP PHOTO/STR
Poorvanchali vote bank
The Phogat sisters were recently appointed brand ambassadors by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to promote Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in south Delhi.
Since the Poorvanchali community constitutes a big chunk of voters in Delhi, the party will front Ravi Kishan in its campaigns to woo people hailing from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
On the target the party had set for itself in the high-octane civic polls, he simply said: “All 272 seats.”
“We’re not competing with the Congress or the AAP, but with ourself. And we don’t want to keep a humble target anymore after elections in U.P. and other States.”
The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated into north, south and east Delhi bodies in 2012. While the North body and SDMC have 104 seats each, the EDMC has 64. The BJP has decided to field only new faces in the upcoming polls.
