No CM face: Modi to drive UP campaign

Wary of the leaders trying to project themselves as faces for the next year’s UP polls, the BJP has finally decided to drop the idea of projecting anyone and make “good governance” its face. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will be leading the campaign and he’s expected to visit the state at least twice a month.

Over the past few months as BJP’s prospects apparently “improved” there was a race among the state leaders to project themselves as chief ministerial candidates. From state unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya to Yogi Adityanath to Union minister Mahesh Sharma, all were jostling to hog the limelight and had unleashed their supporters to mount pressure on the party high command.

“It’s more or less official. We will not be projecting anyone,” a senior BJP functionary close to the party high command said. This also has been done to prevent the “swayambhu” (those indulging in self propaganda) leaders, who have been ignoring the party work and trying to project themselves as faces of the party, he said. He reminded that the signal was given by the Prime Minister himself when he made it clear in an interview that “good governance will be our face.”

Leaders like Yogi Adityanath, Mahesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya among others had thrown their hats into the ring and their supporters both overtly and covertly were trying to mount pressure on the high command to project their leaders.

On the eve of Independence Day, supporters of Yogi Adityanath had put up posters in Gorakhpur depicting him as freedom fighter Sardar Bhagat Singh. Both Mahesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya had been playing to the RSS gallery to breast the tape.

The party has now decided that Mr Modi, “our main vote catcher”, will lead the campaign and make “development and good governance” party’s poll plank.

BJP’s IT cell will use social media extensively to highlight Prime Minister’s agenda for the “empowerment of the poor.” Besides Prime Minister, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh along with party president Amit Shah will also lead the campaign. All the leaders who have been knocking on the saffron doors including those of the RSS’ have been asked to focus on “making the party win at least 300 of the 403 seats.”