Job well done, it’s their day in the sun for BJP’s ground-level workers

MPs acknowledge their role in ‘converting the Modi undercurrent into a wave’

Celebrations for the Delhi unit of the BJP began with the conclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the party’s national headquarters here on Thursday evening and refused to die down throughout Friday.

After fireworks and intermittent dhol numbers at the party’s State headquarters on Pandit Pant Marg during the day, many supporters and party workers started gathering outside the homes and offices of each of the BJP’s candidates in the Capital’s seven Lok Sabha segments. The party was successful in sweeping all seats with vote shares ranging between 50% and upwards of 60%.

The party’s supporters and cadre, who over the last year mobilised support from the ground-level upwards across 13,000 booths in the Capital, could not felicitate their leaders on Thursday. So, on Friday morning, they congratulated all the BJP leaders, including the ones who were not even in the electoral fray, during their morning walks.

The party’s internal “acknowledgment and admiration” of the role played by ground-level workers in “converting the Modi undercurrent into a wave”, was put on display by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, said sources. He prioritised meetings with his supporters and party cadre over interactions with the media as did the rest of his six MP colleagues.

Manoj Chandel (32) from Chandigarh, after attending his office, got into his car to go home after a year. He was one of 70 vistaraks deployed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on as many Assembly Constituencies in the Capital to make the BJP’ s proposed “Mission 350” a reality. “Early last year, I was asked whether I would like to volunteer my services to nation building in Delhi. The only answer to that proposition was ‘yes’ and I have been in Delhi to assist the party with its campaign since then. I am going home after April 2018,” he said. Mr. Chandel was among an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 ground-level workers mobilised across the country to further the party’s electoral prospects in the Lok Sabha poll.

‘Followed instructions’

“The party’s excellent performance is mainly because of Narendra Modi’s image. We just acted upon the instructions of national president Amit Shah to work hard at establishing a public connect and relaying information about the schemes and achievements of the BJP government at the Centre to residents inhabiting the jurisdiction of each booth across our 14 districts in the city,” said Ms. Sangeeta, a member of the BJP Mahila Morcha.

Mr. Chandel, who belongs to the Valmiki community, said his focus was on ‘significant’ Assembly seats such as Sultanpur Majra. “We not only told the residents what the Modi government did but also what the Delhi government did not let it do,” he said.

Vinod Tiwari, associated with the party’s SC/ST Morcha, said the BJP’s success proved that caste and class lines had been blurred. “The fact that there was a groundswell of support for Mr. Modi cutting across divisions of caste and creed has been proven,” he said.