R Rajagopalan reveals the BJP's master plan to get Modi re-elected.
Final touches are being given to the Bharatiya Janata Party's election strategy for its Lok Sabha election campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and BJP national President Amit Anilchandra Shah.
A massive BJP war room has been set up at its former headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road in New Delhi where massive plasma television screens with huge electronic maps of each state displaying up-to-date data have been put up.
The 24x7 war room will have all the information about poll schedules, Modi's rallies, Shah's meetings, etc.
The war room will be operational once the Election Commission of India announces the poll schedule which may be on Saturday, March 9.
Aiming to win a two-thirds majority in the 17th Lok Sabha, the BJP has coined a new slogan, '350 Mumkin Hai! (350 is possible!)' for the general election, indicating the number of seats the party can possibly win in the Lower House of the People.
Shah has given instructions to all senior BJP leaders not to rest till Modi is sworn in as prime minister for a second term.
He has also instructed that from March 10 till May 25, for two-and-a-half months, only poll fever should prevail in each BJP worker's mind.
At the party's national headquarters, senior BJP leaders can be seen working late into the night.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is in charge of publicity for the general election, has been holding meetings with senior BJP leaders daily.
Eight top ad agencies have been roped in to communicate the National Democratic Alliance government's achievements through posters, and via Facebook and Twitter.
Modi is expected to address a staggering 450 rallies during the election campaign.
The BJP has finalised a list of locations where he will hold rallies, and the list has been handed over to the Special Protection Group for vetting and sanitisation.
The BJP plans to disseminate 30-second ads in Modi's voice in eight Indian languages and 28 different dialects, highlighting his government's achievements. These video clips will be used on Twitter and among WhatsApp groups.
The BJP has decided not to waste resources on printed material like pamphlets and booklets. Instead, the party will communicate with its workers and voters in digital form, via e-mail or WhatsApp.
R Rajagopalan is a senior journalist in New Delhi.
