Thousands of hoardings proclaiming them “newly authorised” have been installed by the BJP across illegal colonies in the Capital. This is a move which seeks to say more than meets the eye at first glance, said party sources.
The party aims to erect a total number of 21,000 such hoardings — bearing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image and seeking to reinforce his claim of having “removed the blot of being unauthorised” from their foreheads — over the coming days as part of its electoral campaign, said sources.
“The intent of the hoardings is not just to remind the residents of such colonies about the removal of the stigma of being unauthorised by this landmark initiative of the BJP-led government but also to pitch to them, once again, Prime Minister Modi as the sole face of the party in the city,” said a source.
As many as 8,000 such hoardings were put up at vantage points in areas including Burari, Sangam Vihar, Kirari and Swaroop Nagar among others overnight between Saturday and Sunday, said an insider.
This comes in the wake of Mr. Modi at his rally at Ramlila Maidan last Sunday, calling the residents of such colonies “VIPs” and asserting that words such as “illegal”, “bulldozer” and “demolition” had become a thing of the past after the Centre’s decision to confer ownership rights on them post the passage of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019 by both Houses of Parliament.
Leave aside the projection of a Chief Ministerial face, the hoardings even exclude BJP national president Amit Shah as well as party’s national working president J.P. Nadda in line with its strategy to make the Delhi Assembly elections a direct contest between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Mr. Modi, a source said.
“The decision to confer ownership rights to the residents of such colonies is a big-ticket decision and the party has no qualms in seeking votes either in relation to the decision or in the name of PM,” said Pratyush Kanth, Delhi BJP media in-charge.
“Mr. Shahwill address a booth workers’ convention specifically on the issue of the CAA on January 5. This will be followed by a three-day, back-to-back campaign at the booth level focusing on the CAA,” the source added.
