DNA Edit | A storm called Shah: Sweeping across the electoral map

BJP President Amit Shah, veritably the General of the party who has opened a war front against a fragmented Opposition, is blazing new trails in a political campaign that is taking him across the length and breadth of India. His campaign is informed by an itinerary that, by the looks of it, is exhausting enough to deter many a political opponent from even attempting a venture of such magnitude. Spread largely between May and September this year, the BJP President will be the roving ambassador for the party charged with instilling a new spirit and fervour in BJP’s favour.

This yatra, if you will, has been kick-started with a razor-sharp focus on the multiple state Assembly elections to be held in the second half of this year and in the remaining two years of PM Modi’s term, not to mention the 2019 elections. To say that the Opposition should take a leaf out of Shah’s organisational skills is to state the obvious. His industry and his capacity to enthuse cadres is virtually unparalleled in today’s political scenario. This is as much a compliment to Shah as it is a warning to parties going up against Modi’s appeal. Take Congress for instance. Its party worker is demoralised and without any avenues of vertical movement as leadership positions are often swindled away by loyalists and sycophants of the family.

Unlike the Congress, the BJP has succeeded in projecting a take-everyone-along image that involves everyone — from the foot soldier to the top party functionaries. Consider the Vistarak Yojana that the BJP is implementing in states that are up for elections. As per this action plan, 550 BJP leaders will for six months assess the lay of the land in the areas delegated to their charge. They will be reaching out to key voters while contacting former Jan Sangh and BJP activists. Under the outreach scheme, three categories of party workers will be surveying polling booths and spreading BJP’s message to constituencies which have historically not been BJP bastions.

Earlier this month, in Odisha, Shah addressed concerns of booth workers, while taking stock of the situation on ground zero with block presidents and BJP Zila Parishad members. His brainchild of ‘Mera booth, sabse majboot’ has triggered a campaign that involves high-level functionaries — Union ministers, general secretaries and party veterans — to low-level party workers. This upsurge is being built on Shah’s zeal and indefatigable striving. Since 2014, he has covered over 5.6 lakh km and addressed over 530 rallies. Very few politicians, if any, have shown such striving.