BJP mulls launching mass outreach programme before Bengal civic polls

KOLKATA: Taking cue from TMC's 'Didi ke Bolo' (Tell Didi) mass outreach programme, the West Bengal BJP is mulling to launch 'BJP ke bolo' (Tell BJP) initiative before the upcoming municipal elections in the state.

The BJP leaders, however, denied that the initiative — that is expected to be launched in a few days — is meant to outsmart the TMC's programme and insisted it is aimed at inquiring about people's grievances against TMC-run civic bodies and understanding their needs and demands.

The elections to 107 municipalities and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), to be held this year, are being dubbed as 'mini assembly elections' ahead of the 2021 polls.

As part of the 'BJP ke Bolo' initiative, a helpline number will be launched wherein people will be able to call and register their grievances and if the saffron party is elected to the civic bodies, it will try to solve the problems, a senior party leader said.

"First, a pilot project will be launched wherein only BJP workers in the 107 municipalities will be asked to register feedback of the masses. Later, a statewide toll free number will be launched for the people," he said.

This initiative will increase the party's direct mass outreach and help it identify issues in the civic bodies, the BJP leader said.

'BJP ke Bolo' will be the second mass outreach programme of the party in the state.

It had earlier launched 'Cha chakra Dilipdar sange' (Discussions with Dilip da over tea) in which West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had visited various areas in the state and discussed with people issues faced by them.

The initiative had received positive response from the people, the BJP leader said.

Reacting to the development, TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee alleged that the saffron party was trying to copy the Trinamool Congress' initiative.

"They are trying to copy us. Let them do that. We are not bothered. But it will not bear any fruit as they do not have a mass leader in West Bengal like Mamata Banerjee," he said.

On being advised by poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who was appointed by the TMC after its Lok Sabha poll reverses, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had last year launched 'Didi ke Bolo' initiative to enable people to have a direct interface with party functionaries.

The BJP had won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats of the state in the 2019 elections, just four less than TMC's tally of 22.