Dozens of party workers and volunteers of the Bharatiya Janata Party are hunched over computers at the party headquarters, preparing the party’s campaign strategy in each State as the Lok Sabha election draws closer.
With the election schedule likely to be announced on Wednesday, the venue is buzzing with activity. While strategy is discussed and debated inside, scores of supporters, innumerable ticket-seekers and hundreds of party workers line up outside everyday to mark their participation in the biggest political event in the country.
“The election campaign will be run with clockwork precision. There is a chain of people who will run the show from the lowest booth level going right up to the party’s highest decision-making body,” a party functionary said.
It is not a “war room,” he insists but a place for thoughtful and well-planned strategy. “We call it the Election Management Centre,” he said.
The Centre will have workers from each State posted at the headquarters to give feedback from the ground. They will serve as a link between the workforce in the constituencies and the top leadership.
“The elections will be held in a phased manner and the campaign strategy will be carried out concurrently. The idea is to prevent disconnect between each State’s specific needs and what the party has planned. For instance, if Gujarat wants specific leaders or actors to campaign, they will pass on that list to us and we will send that to the leadership.
Similarly, if helicopters are needed, the campaigning cell will make a list of the days when they can be hired, where they can be hired from etc, the functionary said.
The centre is also expected to serve as a logistical support arm of the campaign. Last minute glitches, avoidable delay in securing dates for campaigning and crowd sourcing will all be streamlined from the headquarters.
About 70-100 people will be part of the exercise, which will be closely monitored by the party's top brass, including prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi, the sources said.
“These campaign details are in addition to what the party is already doing through door-to-door campaigning and social media outreach. While the campaigns so far have been with an overall target of 272+ seats in the Lok Sabha and garnering support for Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister, the second round is about strengthening the canvassing at the constituency level, with focus on each candidate,” the functionary said.
