GPS devices in Narendra Modi's campaign tempos will keep tabs on workers

Over 400 campaign vehicles and tempos of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have been fitted with GPS (global positioning system) devices to keep a check on any laxity from workers while campaigning in each assembly constituency in the state.

Monitoring of these campaign vehicles will be done from a control room set up in state capital, Lucknow. According to a party leader, installation of GPS devices and monitoring from a control room would be done only to keep an eye on the workers so that the party is not misled by workers about the movement of vehicles. Monitoring at the control room would be done by volunteers of Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), a non-profit group supporting BJP prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. CAG was also the brain behind Modi's chai pe charcha campaign, which also heavily uses technology.

The monitoring system is being put in place to keep a check on party workers, who instead of sweating it out, tend to take frequent rest breaks during campaigning. "Normally, party workers turn up at party office in the morning before leaving for campaigning. But few of them actually end up doing any ground work as they are used to resting at a place of their comfort," said a party leader on condition of anonymity. "In the evening, these workers paint a rosy picture of all the hard work they put in while campaigning the entire day. With GPS monitoring, their movement will be under constant watch. Any attempt to mislead the party leadership after the installation of these GPS device will be futile."

Around 20 CAG volunteers will track the movement of campaign vehicles and maintain a record of the vehicles' movement from the control room. "They will especially monitor if the vehicle remains at one place for a long period of time on any given day. A report on the movement of the vehicles will be sent daily to the party general secretary and state in-charge, Amit Shah," the leader said.

The 'Namo ko Pradhan Mantri Bano Yatra' campaign will use tempos to spread the message of 'Modi aane wala hai,' and chant 'Har har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi'. The campaign vehicles will carry Modi's posters, campaign music, publicity material, promotional films as well as brief speeches of Modi on a variety of subjects. Each tempo will also have a public announcement system and an LED screen.

Local party leaders and workers have been asked to reach out to maximum number of voters in each assembly constituency. The yatra will be supported by other campaigns likes 'Ek Note, Ek Vote' and public rallies to be addressed by other senior party leaders. The entire campaign is coordinated and monitored by Modi's close confidant, Shah.