By Faraz Ahmad, IANS
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will go to the Gujarat assembly elections next month with Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s mascot.
His face will figure in stickers, badges and pamphlets against the map of Gujarat in the background with the slogan “Jeetega Gujarat” (Gujarat will win) embossed on them, party sources said.
“The BJP has made 18 short films, of which 11 have already been cleared by the Election Commission and clearance of other seven is awaited,” said a leader closely associated with the Gujarat election campaign.
These short films will have “two or three sentences” from Modi’s speeches on terrorism, corruption, the Ram Sethu project and the state’s development. The attempt is to press the point that “Modi is identified with Gujarat, BJP is identified with Gujarat and development is identified with Gujarat”, he said.
“There will be three main thrust points of the campaign: ideology, leadership and performance. The ‘Jeetega Gujarat’ films and campaign material will focus on future challenges and past achievements,” said the BJP campaigner.
For instance one film shows Modi saying at a public rally: “Na khata hun, na khane doonga (I neither indulge in corruption nor will allow others to do that.).” Another shows Modi warning of the dangers of terrorism.
Since the Election Commission has banned posters, banners and even radio advertising, all the funds allocated for the publicity campaign are going into this, said the leader.
“This is for the first phase. Wait for the second phase,” he said.
BJP sources indicated that the second phase of the campaign will show Congress as a corrupt party, patronizing terrorism, an enemy of Modi, and thereby an enemy of Gujarat.