Plans to conduct string of rallies, featuring top party leaders from Bihar, to get Biharis in city to ask their relatives in the state to vote for the BJP when the polls begin on October 12
The BJP is trying to reach out to nearly half-a-crore voters in Bihar through 15 lakh Biharis in Mumbai. With the party facing tough competition in Bihar from its former ally, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the BJP is leaving no stone unturned.
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While the BJP was expecting around 10,000 people to attend the rally for Biharis in Goregaon yesterday, only about 2,500 showed up, leaving rows of empty chairs
Top party leaders like Rajeev Pratap Rudy, Shahnawaz Hussain and Bhojpuri actor and MP Manoj Tiwari have begun making the rounds of the city to convince Biharis to vote for the BJP, which is contesting the elections with Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awami Morcha this time.
The party hopes that not only will several Biharis from the city go to their home state to vote for the BJP when the polls begin on October 12, they will also tell their families and friends to vote for the party. “Thus, through the 15 lakh Biharis in the city, we may be able to garner 50 lakh votes for us in the Bihar elections,” said a BJP leader.
Low turnout
The first such rally was held in Goregaon yesterday and several leaders, including Rudy, Hussain and Tiwari, spoke to a crowd of Biharis. Niranjan Shetty, Mumbai BJP spokesperson, said, “We want the Biharis staying in Mumbai to write letters and talk to their people in Bihar and convince them to vote for the BJP.
We are trying to reach as many Biharis as we can before the elections.” “We want Biharis staying in Mumbai to telephone their relatives back home and tell them that they are doing well under the BJP rule in the state and that if the BJP is voted to power in Bihar, they, too, will get the same treatment.
We are also looking to convince migrants who are registered to vote in Bihar to go there during the polls and vote for the BJP,” said a senior party leader. The rally yesterday proved to be a dampener, however. While the party was expecting a turnout of 10,000, only around 2,500 people showed up, resulting in rows of empty chairs being visible.
“The reason for this is that many top BJP leaders from the city were not invited for the event. However, we have decided we will not leave anyone out the next time,” said a senior BJP leader.
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