BJP compiles data on religious bodies to counter Rahul Gandhi

Bhopal: In a move to “tap” the opinion makers ahead of year-end Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling BJP has compiled data on influential social, religious, and spiritual bodies and their heads in the state.

The party has conducted a survey on ashrams, mutts and spiritual organisations who have established influence on the local populations due to their social and religious activities with an objective to cultivating them keeping in view the upcoming Assembly elections, slated for November-December this year, sources said.

“We have conducted a survey on social, religious, spiritual and educational bodies and their respective heads and promoters having influence in the society as part of the party’s ‘live mass contact’ programme in which our booth-level workers were involved. The survey report has been submitted to the party leadership six months ago,” BJP spokesman here Rajnish Agrawal told this newspaper on Saturday.

A senior BJP leader, who is part of the party’s think tank, has disclosed to this newspaper that it was a part of its electoral strategy to “tap” opinion makers in society to influence voters through them in the year-end polls.

The heads of different ashrams and mutts as well as spiritual leaders are considered opinion makers in their respective areas of influence because of their involvement in various social and religious activities.

Hence, the party was striving hard to cultivate them to woo their followers.

“Our district-level leaders, MLAs and MPs have been asked to cultivate this particular sections of opinion makers in their respective areas to create a base among their followers ahead of year-end Assembly polls in the state,” he added.

Sources disclosed that BJP used to rope in religious gurus and sadhus in earlier elections to mobilise support among their followers and thus consolidate its Hindu vote bank.

“The party has made an elaborate plan to tap Hindu religious and spiritual leaders this election to counter the impact of Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s temple visits during polls aimed at eroding the saffron vote bank,” sources revealed.