UP Polls: BJP Shifts Focus On Virtual Rallies, Digital Outreach After EC Extends Ban On Roadshows

The campaign launched in November called 'Fark Saaf hai" (Difference is clear)' will run till the release of the party manifesto after which a new campaign will be launched in the state

New Delhi: In view of the Covid surge in the country led by Omicron variant, Bharatiya Janata Party is now geared up to reach out to its voter in Uttar Pradesh virtually through social media.

With the Election Commission of India restricting physical rallies due to the third wave of Covid-19, political parties are allowed to hold virtual rallies and door-to-door campaigns in the poll-bound states.

Virtual rallies in full swing

Talking to news agency ANI, state social media head Ankit Chandel, said “We are preparing for the virtual rallies that are supposed to take place. Planning for the same is underway. The virtual rallies will begin at the end of this month." The social media head informed that the training for the same had begun during the second wave in the country itself in 2021.

Sharing details about the upcoming virtual rallies, Chandel said, "The training for the virtual rallies was given during the second wave of Covid-19. We had conducted three big rallies in which national president JP Nadda, Narendra Singh Tomar and Smriti Irani had addressed. Lakhs of people had joined the rally virtually.

On the campaigns held by the BJP to reach out to the voters in the state, Chandel said the party has resorted to social media platforms for keeping voters informed about the progress of work promised by the party in the 2017 Assembly elections.

"A new campaign has been started "Jo Kaha Wo Kiya" (Did what we said). We take a subject in a day that we had promised in the 2017 Assembly elections, we apprise people of progress of work on the social media platforms.

From live sessions to preparing party manifesto

In fact, the leader appears for a live session on the related subject in the evening. “Similarly, we had launched a campaign in November last year, "Fark Saaf hai" (Difference is clear)," he added.

Chandel further said that the campaign will run till the release of the party manifesto ahead of the election, after which a new campaign will be launched.

"We have started this campaign in mid-January. We will run this campaign till the release of our manifesto of the election. After the declaration of our manifesto, we will start a new campaign in which we will tell people about the work done in the past and the work we intend to do in the future from here on," he said.

The BJP leader apprised that the party manifesto was expected to be released by the end of January or by the first week of February. "The manifesto is expected to be released by the end of January or in the first week of February as the elections are very close," he told ANI.

On the upcoming campaign, he said that the party's narrative will be "Soch Imaandar, Kaam Asardaar, UP Phir Maange BJP Sarkar" (Honest intentions, effective work, UP again asks for BJP government). "'Fark Saaf Hai' was an impactful campaign. Samajwadi Party too has started this campaign.

He also said the success of this campaign inspired Samajwadi Party for the same," he added.

Chandel went on to inform that the songs released for the party in this election are composed by party MPs Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan. "Songs on the UP elections are being released. Every week, there would be a release of nearly three songs. Some of them will be in the local language. Our songs are being composed by our own leaders like Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan," he said.

Uttar Pradesh will hold assembly elections for 403 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.