‘Modi in MP’, ‘MP in Modi’: BJP leans in on PM, he pens a letter to voters

The letter written by Modi will be distributed among voters across all 64,523 polling booths in the state, “to communicate the PM’s sentiments to the people”, said a BJP leader, who added that Modi had addressed nine rallies in MP during the 2018 Assembly elections, and was expected to address even more public meetings for this year’s polls.

While the PM, in the appeal, sought votes directly in his name, highlighting the development done in the state in the past 20 years and drawing attention to the “double-engine sarkar” formula that has reaped rich electoral dividends for the party in the past, it conspicuously accentuated the party’s lack of a chief ministerial face.

One of the songs to be played in BJP publicity vehicles and election programmes goes: “Modi ke mann mein basey MP, MP ke mann mein Modi (MP is in the heart of Modi, and Modi is in the heart of MP).”

BJP campaign vehicles, with PM Modi front and centre, being flagged off in Bhopal on Thursday. (PTI)

On Wednesday, the state BJP also posted a video on X asking voters to elect a “Modi-BJP” government in the state. “MP mein Modi-BJP ki sarkar ho, hum milke unko jita daen, sab ghar mein ujiyar jeevan ho (There should be a Modi-BJP government in MP, we will together make him win, so that there is light in every house).”

“भाजपा कार्यकर्ताओं का संकल्प
फिर इस बार – भाजपा सरकार”

तीन दिवसीय “भाजपा शक्ति सम्मेलन” में लाखों कार्यकर्ताओं ने प्रत्येक बूथ पर 51% वोट शेयर प्राप्त कर “बूथ विजय” करने की प्रतिज्ञा ली। pic.twitter.com/btoVanDpfd

— BJP Madhya Pradesh (@BJP4MP) October 19, 2023

Expectedly, in both videos, Modi towers over all other party leaders.

The party has also compiled data to claim that the Modi government has taken more care of the state than the previous Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, including that Modi has toured the state five more times compared to Singh. “The Modi government has so far given more than Rs 1 lakh crore for various projects and schemes in MP. On the other hand, the Manmohan Singh government allotted schemes and projects worth only Rs 14,929 crore,” reads one of the data points, which also contain the dates of PM Modi’s visits to the state and the projects he has launched.

This data sheet has been shared with party workers across the state, with instructions to highlight it during door-to-door campaigns and public meetings.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “The party is using the name and achievements of Modiji as much as possible because the people trust him and his name and face impress them the most. Modiji has taken care of MP like a guardian.” Tripathi added that BJP state governments work under his leadership.

On why they were comparing Union governments led by Modi and Singh for a state election, Tripathi said, “Because Manmohan Singh had a step-motherly attitude towards MP, and neglected the state.”

Congress spokesperson K K Mishra described the BJP’s Modi-centric campaign as a trap. “Misdeeds of Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s 18 years as CM have been exposed. Hence, the BJP is trying to divert attention. We will attack the BJP on the Shivraj government’s performance. We will speak about the Modi government in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.”