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Nazarwala in Rediff' on Jan 18: BJP will score triple century

March 11, 2017 14:14 IST

Writing on January 18, 2017, Nazarwala had this to say: 'The Modi wave may help the BJP score a triple century; its vanvaas in UP shall end before Holi.'

Of course, this is the not first time he has been bang-on in predicting the electoral outcome in Uttar Pradesh.

In 2007, he had called Mayawati's unexpected win way before the votes were counted.

And in 2012, he forecast her rout at the hustings and the return of Mulayam Singh (who chose to anoint his son Akhilesh as the CM).

Read on to know what Nazarwala had to say about the coming BJP tsunami in UP.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah has strategised patiently for the Uttar Pradesh polls. He has spent sleepless nights in meticulously planning and imaginatively implementing the plans down to the booth level.

More importantly, he has put in place a sincere team which is slogging round the clock in the interiors of UP.

Although initially Shah condoned admitting 'outsiders' like Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Swami Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak and the initial hiccups post demonetisation also caused concern, the nervousness has now disappeared.

A fresh vigour has galvanised the BJP in UP.

An alert Shah has deftly used the Samajwadi Party's infighting to his party's advantage. His designs are deliberate and deadly in impact.

The 'Kamal Mela' magical show is one such example.

The BJP organises 'Kamal Mela' in the rural areas of UP. It sets up stalls to make the people aware of the schemes and achievements of the Modi government.

The 'Kamal Melas' comprise a magic show, a puppet show, a fun zone, a food zone, a laser show, a 'UP ke Mann ki Baat' zone, a virtual reality booth, and an extensive exhibition zone.

The 'selfie with Modi' zone, where visitors post with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cut-out, is very popular.

In addition, an RJ is present all the time to interact with the people, functioning as an amiable facilitator-cum-propagandist.

Shah has given a strong and effective message: Make the BJP's kamal, or lotus, symbol not only visible, but popular.

The BJP and its kamal are making their presence felt in the interiors of UP.

One 'Kamal Mela' attracted a 60,000-strong 'impressed' crowd of villagers in Banda.

'Honest' Modi brought along his own simple food, and shared it with the pracharaks in Kashi (Varanasi). In a spirit of bonhomie, their leader motivated and encouraged the field workers.

The message of honestly working without sponging on the poor villagers of the area was subtly passed down the line.

It energised the pracharaks as well as the 'vote-mobilisers' sitting on the fence.

Successful 'Parivatan Rallies' also drew huge crowds, against those of the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party, with the slogan 'Na goondaraj, na bhrashtachar, abki baar BJP sarkar' ('No lawlessness, no corruption, a BJP government this time').

'Shabdon ka jadugar' Modi mesmerises voters with his amazing oratory. His sensitivity and ingenuity are superb.

His 'BHIM' card, honouring Dr B R Ambedkar, is another masterstroke. The Dalits need only small cash dealings, and the process has been over-simplified for them.

And the fact that the app has been named after Babasaheb fills them with pride. This is having the desired ripple effect.

Nowadays, the Dalits entertain second thoughts on blindly supporting their behenji (Mayawati).

Modi has caught the imagination of the poor. He has pitched forcefully for the 'poor caste' card, as opposed to the hackneyed Yadav, Muslim, Brahmin, or Dalit cards.

'Sabka saath'-wala Modi, through the Rashtriya Muslim Manch, is trying to reach out to Muslims also.

The BJP's condemnation of the concept of triple talaq has touched an empathetic chord among thousands of Muslim women.

The 'note-jhatka' given by Modi is transforming fast into a 'vote-jhatka' for his rivals.

It is to be seen how the poor voter, the 'garvi garib' (proud poor), queues up to turn the tide in the BJP's favour.

The Modi wave may help the BJP score a triple century; its vanvaas in UP shall end before Holi.

Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo

Nazarwala