Bypoll: BJP wary of low turnout, says challenge to get voters to booths

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This is the first election for the BJP after Modi moved to Delhi.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the focus of Gujarat BJP campaign, the possibility of low voter turnout is a cause of worry for the party that faces a challenge to retain all the 10 seats in the September 13 by-elections. This is the first election for the BJP after Modi moved to Delhi.

Lack of enthusiasm among the voters for by- elections along with a less than aggressive campaign by the Congress has failed to create any buzz though two of the 10 seats were represented by Modi himself. Maninagar Assembly seat and the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat both have been vacated by Modi to represent Varanasi in the Lok Sabha. The heavy downpour in last three days has also added to the woes of the party that had to cancel high profile public meetings by Chief Minister Aandi Patel and union HRD minister Smriti Irani. “Public meetings by Irani in Vadodara for Wednesday were cancelled”, said party spokesperson I K Jadeja. Patel’s public meet in Vadodara on Tuesday had also been cancelled following heavy rain in the city.

The BJP, which from the beginning complained about less time on hand for poll preparation, now has only a day to go. Purshottam Rupala, BJP national vice-president, in a public meeting earlier in Maninagar said, “ To get our voters to the poll booths in this by- election is a big challenge. We neither have Narendrabhai here now, nor the enthusiasm among people.” In the same breath he urged party workers to pull up their socks. “Lets just not come to the party office for chit chat and laze around. We need to work hard,” he said.

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In this scenario, the party is again relying on micro-level campaign, with booths at its core. The booth presidents and page presidents are back in action. “General Secretary Bhikhu Dalsania has been taking updates from page presidents in all 10 seats on a regular basis,” said a party leader. Besides, various cells including doctor cell, lawyers cell and even a SC cell holding society meetings to reach maximum voters.

“Cancellation of big public meetings on the eve of voting day is a big setback and now we need to cover up through other modes,” said a BJP leader. While BJP is confident about seats like Maninagar, which has been the party bastion for years, it is constituencies like Matar, Anand, Khambhalia and Limkheda, where Congress has a presence. These are areas that can be very difficult for the BJP in case of low turnout.

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