BJP and its ‘Mission 272 plus’ campaign strategy

BJP’s communication strategy in the run up to the imminent general elections

“BJP and its ‘Mission 272 plus’ campaign strategy”

Introduction

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a political party in India with “integral humanism” as their central philosophy. It is translated as Indian People's Party. The BJP traces its roots to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), an Indian People’s Association which was founded by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 1951 in response to the secular politics of the dominant Congress party. The BJP was formally established in 1980, following a split by dissidents within the Janata coalition, whose leaders wanted to prohibit elected BJS officials from participating in the RSS. The ideologies of BJP are nationalism (Indian), Integral humanism (official), Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) and Social conservatism. The youth wing of BJP is Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and the women's wing      is Mahila Morcha. BJP is currently the leader opposition party to Congress led government, UPA in the 15th Lok Sabha. Some of the BJP stalwarts are Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L. K. Advani, Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley, Vasundhara Raje, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and others. Narendra Damodardas Modi, the 14th Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat since 2001, is the BJP Prime Ministerial Candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) new slogan for the upcoming General Elections in 2014 in a bid to instill confidence among voters is “Nayi soch, nayi ummeed (new thinking, new hope)”.  Narendra Modi, who is considered as Kushal Neta, Nirnayak Sarkaar (able leader with decisive government), the party's prime ministerial candidate. As the next set of assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections draw close, a battle-ready Bharatiya Janata Party has launched ‘Mission 272 plus’ to ensure Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s coronation as the country’s next prime minister. The party is specifically targeting the country’s young voters through a host of digital platforms and social media.[1] Preparation for this ambitious election is in full swing with a precise mission drawn up recently by the party during the brainstorming session. To enhance the campaign the BJP have decided to raise an army of volunteers who will be trained to use various digital platforms to increase the party’s nationwide outreach. Latest technology will also be used in the ‘Mission 272 plus’.

      “Our Mission 272 plus aims to get them to register as voters, educate them about what the BJP stands for and persuade them to cast their vote on that crucial day”, said Rajya Sabha MP  Piyush  Goyal who is also BJP’s information, communications and campaign committee. The BJP is taking a lead from Modi who was the first BJP leader to have realized the potential of social media, having used it effectively in his election campaigns. Khem Chand Sharma, coordinator of the Delhi BJP’s media cell and the brain behind the party’s social media campaign, believes the campaign will be pivotal for the performance in the elections. The BJP’s social media “warriors” and others implementing the communication strategy will also initiate a door-to-door campaign in the days leading to the polling to convince more people on the ground.
Mr. Sharma, an architect and a member of the BJP’s election coordination team, said, “The party will also set up a centralized data research centre that will receive live feeds from the volunteers across the state”.  To further boost its virtual campaign, the party has roped in highly educated volunteers, including IITans and tech-savvy professionals. BJP has been trying to make the best use of the Technology for which it built a core team of about 225 professionals who will simultaneously coordinate with various constituencies. In addition, the party has about 300 volunteers, who actively provide assistance to the core team, making the party’s virtual presence significant. BJP is confident of Modi’s growing stature and popularity and that it will be able to help the party cross the half-way mark of 272 in the 545-member Lok Sabha without the help of allies.[2] But will it be true? Let us keep watching.

“Success depends on hard work”, said Yobina. To make sure that BJP achieve the goal of “Mission 272 plus”, the BJP has worked out some systematic strategies for the effective campaign for the upcoming elections. They have prepared the spokes persons, with an emphasis on better research, to sound more convincing with more literate and researched responses from media teams. The BJP's 10 commandments or new mantras on media strategy for 2014 elections as given by the NDTV to enhance their “Mission 272 plus” are:

1.      Spokespersons must be better prepared, with an emphasis on better research, to sound more convincing. There must be more literate and researched responses from media teams.

2.      Only those who have expertise in a certain subject must speak on that issue. Every one need not speak on everything, Mr. Modi indicated.

3.      Need to take on the ruling Congress more aggressively. The party recently attacked Mr.  Modi for lifting Barack Obama's famous "Yes we can" speech at a rally in Hyderabad, which Mr. Modi defended by saying was an improvement on a slogan he gave in 2004. He cited that as an example of the preparation party spokespersons must do.

4.      Target the Congress on issues like corruption, state of the economy and mal governance.

5.      Force it to answer tough questions on its nine years of rule at the Centre.

6.      But do it with decency and decorum. Mrs. Swaraj said party leaders should exercise caution while hitting out at the Congress as “words once spoken cannot be taken back”.

7.      On TV discussions, Mrs. Swaraj said, panelists must speak in one voice, decorously, while firmly rubbishing arguments of political adversaries.

8.      Mr. Jaitley said he was dissatisfied at the manner in which BJP spokespersons had tackled the Congress’ charges against Mr. Modi after his Independence Day speech. He said Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had used derogatory words against Mr. Modi which should have been countered strongly, but decently.

9.      The BJP must set the agenda in media and public debates and not follow the one set by the Congress.

10.  There must be better coordination between the central and state units.[3]

Responding on the Mantras of BJP, Sachin T said, “I can see future leaders of India led by efficient NaMo. Such meticulous and clear instructions help groups to act on their given tasks. Precision comes with proper instructions”. The BJP’s Mantra has drawn many youths because of their meticulously plan method of campaign.

Modi will make a concerted effort to build on the anti-Congress mood which was so evident in the assembly elections by leading a high-decibel, aggressive campaign in the run-up to the general election. On the other hand, Prasad and Rudy maintained, the anti-Congress wave which was so evident in these assembly elections will convert into a wave of support for the BJP in the coming general election. Both Mr. Rajnath Singh and Mr. Modi were advised by the RSS at their recent meetings in Nagpur to ensure that the party's campaign reflects collective leadership and does not seem like a one-man, read Modi, show.[4] Giving details about Mission 272 plus, Goyal said, “The BJP plans to tap into growing anger among the youth with regards to corruption and poor governance. The young are yearning and aspiring for a new India and our effort is to become a platform for their voice.”

BJP’s “Mission 272 plus” has got its clear goal and has enthused the people greatly. BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who has cautioned the party against losing track of issues, admitted to NDTV: “Modi is the most popular leader not just in the BJP but in the country. He is an asset, the more our opponents attack Modi, the more it will help us.” For every mission or any undertakings there will always be positive and negative effects. We have to analyze it and get the best out of it. The BJP are also being criticized for various issues. Many senior leaders in the BJP fear that the focus on Modi is encouraging issues like corruption and scams that the party needs to continue highlighting to demonstrate what it calls the Congress-led UPA’s failure in governance. Also, that a Modi vs the rest situation could create an impression that the BJP is isolated ahead of the elections. Mr. Modi has also controversially asserted that he is a Hindu nationalist; his comments seem aimed also at re-assuring the BJP’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its more hard-line affiliates, that the Hindutva agenda remains germane to the BJP's political strategy. Today, he will meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur. Parties like the Congress, Left, SP, BSP and the Janata Dal (United), a BJP ally till last month, have slammed him first for his puppy analogy in an interview when asked about communal riots that lacerated his state in 2002 and then for accusing the Congress of hiding behind a “burqa of secularism.” His opponents allege that the remarks are anti-Muslim.[5] Mr. Modi has also been accused of various issues like the Godhra riots.

Conclusion

Balaji in his comment about Lok Sabha Election 2014 said, “The party with mission will win against the party with commission”. BJP’s “Mission 272 plus” seems to be a very good strategy because it has attracted many youth and get the support of many companies and business corporate. BJP has also achieved the target of enlisting 10,000 volunteers and another one-lakh online volunteer by the end of August. The level of preparedness and much political activity in the party suggests that the BJP is preparing for the Lok Sabha election in full swing. BJP bigwigs like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and former party president Nitin Gadkari are given functional responsibilities in the new committees set for “Mission 272 plus” and the working of each panel will be supervised by Mr. Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh. Though “Mission 272 plus” seems to be very effective tool for BJP but still we see opposition against Mr. Modi. Advocate Parikh writes, “After the Godhra train burning incident, a large number of kar sevaks indulged in provocative slogan-shouting at Godhra railway station and the situation was tense...And what he (Modi) did was to call VHP Gujarat general secretary Jaideep Patel to go to Godhra and Patel instigated other VHP men and Hindus against Muslims. Therefore, Modi conspired with Jaideep Patel to instigate negative and aggressive feelings of RSS, VHP workers against Muslims.” Who will win the Lok Sabha election? Is “Mission 272 plus” successful? Will BJP Prime Ministerial Candidate, Mr. Narendra Modi win in the upcoming Lok Sabha election? The best answer for these questions which have unpredictable answers would be ‘Let us just wait and watch’.

Bibliography

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/battle-for-2014-tech-savvy-bjp-vs-tardy-congress/20130807.htm

http://www.bjp.org/

http://www.asianage.com/delhi/bjp-seeks-dominate-social-media-879

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/battle-for-2014-tech-savvy-bjp-vs-tardy-congress/20130807.htm

http://www.ndtv.com/elections/article/assembly-polls/bjp-s-10-commandments-on-media-strategy-for-2014-elections-407248

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/bjp-ready-with-2014-campaign-plan-team-headed-by-narendra-modi-to-be-announced-today-394278

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[1] http://www.rediff.com/news/report/battle-for-2014-tech-savvy-bjp-vs-tardy-congress/20130807.htm

[2] http://www.rediff.com/news/report/battle-for-2014-tech-savvy-bjp-vs-tardy-congress/20130807.htm

[3] http://www.ndtv.com/elections/article/assembly-polls/bjp-s-10-commandments-on-media-strategy-for-2014-elections-407248

[4] http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/bjp-ready-with-2014-campaign-plan-team-headed-by-narendra-modi-to-be-announced-today-394278

[5] http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/behind-narendra-modi-s-choice-of-words-some-see-a-careful-motive-392579