Trying to steal the first mover advantage for the next general elections, the BJP on Friday launched 24 Sankalp Sandesh Vahans that will travel to 380 constituencies and perform street theatre and screen short movies with political messages.The BJP plan is to run an integrated campaign for 10 Assembly elections, which are due in 2008 and the general elections in 2009. BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani will lead this campaign.Advani will also undertake a ‘sankalp yatra’ from Jabalpur on February 6. The Sankalp Sandesh Vahans are a corollary to Advani’s rallies. BJP’s current campaign mode is evidently in contrast to the high-profile splash it created in 2004.BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who conceived the idea said theatre artistes will perform satirical street plays slamming the Congress-led UPA Government’s policies. “These performances will also be held at the 16 places where Advaniji will address rallies, to act as a supplement to his sankalp yatra,” he said.The campaign would target the Government on issues ranging from its approach towards terrorism, price rise, neglect of farmers and labourers, “anti-people” policies and corruption.
