8 rallies, 4 states: How PM Modi and BJP are getting into election mode

The BJP has tuned into election mode for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 relatively early. Over the next six days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to conduct a massive campaign, holding up to eight public rallies in four states that will soon hold elections. The PM may announce projects worth many crores during these visits to certain significant cities like Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jagdalpur, and Jodhpur. He will also hold two rallies in each of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh. Take a look. Also read: Decoding the paradigm shift in India's foreign policy under PM Narendra Modi Parivartan Yatras in Chhattisgarh The Prime Minister will travel to Bilaspur of poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Saturday to attend the concluding ceremony of two "Parivartan Yatras" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party leader said. According to PTI, this will be PM Modi’s third visit to the Congress-ruled state, where assembly elections are due this year-end, in the last three months. [caption id=“attachment_13188022” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Supporters wear mask of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally in support of BJP candidates, in Sanand. PTI[/caption] The PM will address the “Parivartan Mahasankalp” rally, the closing ceremony of two Parivartan Yatras, at 2 pm on Saturday at Science College ground, state BJP chief Arun Sao told reporters. While the first Parivartan Yatra was taken out from Dantewada (south Chhattisgarh) on 12 September, the second one was rolled out from Jashpur (north Chhattisgarh) on 15 September, he said. Both the yatras saw 83 “Swagat Sabhas” (welcome gatherings), four roadshows and various public meetings before culminating at Bilaspur, covering a distance of more than 3,000 kilometres across 87 assembly segments (out of a total of 90). In view of PM Modi’s visit, the police said a massive security cover has been put in place at the venue of the programme. A total of 1,500 security personnel belonging to the police force, Special Protection Group (SPG), Chhattisgarh Armed Force, National Security Guard and Home Guard will be deployed. Also read: Why Modi’s BJP is solid at the Centre, but needs to step up in states Rallies in Telangana On 1 and 3 October, PM Modi will address two public rallies in Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad, Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy said on Tuesday. The party aims to mobilise huge crowds for the meetings. He will be launching and laying the foundation stones of multiple developmental projects worth more than Rs 13,500 crore. Notably, Mahabubnagar is an important area as Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar (KCR) was once elected as an MP from this seat. Kavitha, KCR’s daughter, was the MP representing Nizamabad parliamentary constituency in 2014 before the BJP won it in 2019. According to The Times of India, the PM is expected to address four more meetings before the state elections similar to what he did during the Karnataka polls. This will take the number of PM meetings in the state to 10 in the last 12 months. Public meetings in MP and Rajasthan According to News18, the PM would hold two public meetings on 2 October while visiting Chittorgarh in Rajasthan and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar, two Union ministers, have strongholds in the latter. In the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, the BJP did poorly in the Gwalior-Chambal area. PM Modi is anticipated to pitch for the benefits of a strong administration with a majority while armed with the “historic” Women’s Reservation Bill that was enacted during the extraordinary session of Parliament this week, according to Tribune. [caption id=“attachment_13188012” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, is presented with a huge garland by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters and a public rally meeting ahead of Madhya Pradesh state elections. PTI[/caption] The prime minister will be visiting Jodhpur, the Rajasthani city that serves as Ashok Gehlot’s bastion, on 5 October. Later on that day, he will go to Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur for another public rally. For those unversed, in MP politics, Jabalpur is a crucial hub. All of these programmes are being released in advance of the Election Commission of India’s potential announcement of elections in five states soon. Also read: Why criticism of India’s anti-Christian bias is false and unfounded BJP in election mode The centre-ruling party has started campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unusually early. The party wants their report cards to be ready “well in time” before the elections, according to sources cited by Indian Express. This includes asking them to complete unfinished projects in their respective Parliamentary constituencies as soon as possible and giving the thumbs-up for surveys intended to evaluate the performance of its incumbent MPs. The BJP, which successfully won 303 seats in the 2019 elections by garnering roughly 38 per cent of the vote, has set a goal of capturing at least 350 seats. Along with its stronghold seats, the party is this time concentrating on Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav, Sharad Pawar, and other seats held by seasoned leaders, which it has never been successful in winning. The party is also targeting those South Indian states where it struggled to fare well in 2019. According to TOI, the Lok Sabha seats on which the BJP lost in the 2019 elections were compiled into a special list by the BJP last year. The Lok Sabha seats on this list that the party finished second in or lost by a very slim margin are exactly those. Initially, this list contained 144 constituencies; eventually, it included 160. The task of strengthening the party on these seats has been delegated to seasoned party leaders and Central ministries by grouping these seats into clusters of 2-4. In addition, state officials were chosen to serve as coordinators and co-convenors. The report suggests to increase the strength of the party’s base in these areas, the party developed the “Lok Sabha Pravas Yojana,” which sees experienced leaders and ministers from the centre sent there. The three general secretaries in the party’s trinity — Sunil Bansal, Vinod Tawde, and Tarun Chugh—have been tasked with making this initiative a success. With inputs from agencies