Ram temple, ‘Nari Shakti’ occupy centre stage in BJP’s Navratri campaign

 Yogendra Chandolia at an event at Shyamji temple. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) seven Lok Sabha candidates attended over 400 religious events across the Capital in the nine days of Navratri, said sources in the party’s Delhi unit on Thursday.

The BJP’s festive campaign centred around the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya earlier this year and sought to remind voters of the party’s role in “bringing Ram Rajya [rule of Lord Ram]” back to the nation. Sources added that the candidates, in the festive season preceding Navratri, had also attended several iftar events during Ramzan and visited gurdwaras on Baisakhi.

Bansuri Swaraj attending an aarti at Panchayati Sadashiv temple. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The party has fielded Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi, Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi, Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk, Harsh Malhotra from East Delhi, and Yogendra Chandolia from North West Delhi for the general election.

‘Fulfilled promises’

A functionary at Ms. Swaraj’s office told The Hindu that the leader had attended approximately 55 jagratas, havans and mata ki chowkis in the last nine days. “The messaging during these events has been about the poll promises that the BJP has fulfilled, such as the empowerment of women,” the functionary said.

Harsh Malhotra at a havan in the Delhi BJP office. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Mr. Khandelwal’s office, too, said that the BJP nominee had covered 120 religious events in the city despite having injured his foot. “On Ram Navami, Mr. Khandelwal visited several temples, and on Baisakhi, he visited gurdwaras in his constituency,” said his office.

Ms. Sehrawat, meanwhile, celebrated Kanjak at her West Delhi office on Wednesday and fed girls halwa-puri at a puja organised to drive home the BJP’s efforts to bolster ‘Nari Shakti’ (women empowerment).

Mr. Tiwari, the only incumbent Delhi MP contesting the polls, hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress while campaigning in Uttarakhand.

“AAP and Congress hate Lord Ram, but the BJP celebrates all religions, castes and creeds,” he said.