BJP woos Delhi's Purvanchal votes

With the Lok Sabha elections less than five months away, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has started wooing one of the party's most loyal votebanks, the Purvanchali voters. The party has decided to organise a mega event on the occasion of Makar Sankranti next month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP president Amit Shah are themselves likely to attend the programme, which is to be held on January 13. Apart from the top brass of the party, BJP ministers belonging to the Purvanchal region as also all seven Delhi MPs will be in attendance. A cultural potpourri is to be the main highlight, and the party hopes Purvanchali voters will attend in large numbers.

According to the party's local leadership, the event is being organised specifically for the Purvanchali community, since Makar Sankranti holds great significance for them. Ministers like Ravi Shankar Prasad, Manoj Sinha, Shiv Prakash Shukla, etc. will participate, as will senior BJP leaders like Kalras Mishra. The BJP also wants to cash in on the popularity of Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari, a well-known former Bhojpuri film actor who still enjoys mass following among the community.

Tiwari's elevation as Delhi BJP chief was also of great joy to the community. "Members of the community are upbeat since Tiwari took over as local president three years ago. We want to thank them for their support, and also want to ensure they continue supporting us at next year's general elections," a senior leader from Delhi BJP said.

In April 2017, when BJP swept the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls, the Purvanchalis had played a big role in its victory. Tiwari was made president of the local unit to help sway this vote bank, that constitutes around 35 per cent of the voters. A few months ago, Tiwari had organised the 'Purvanchali Mahakumbh' at Ramlila Maidan as a show of strength, and Amit Shah was invited as chief guest.