Barbers will help BJP make the cut this time

NEW DELHI: Don't be surprised if on your next visit to a hair salon the hairdresser tries to convince you about the merits of BJP, besides those of the latest cuts and colours. The party's Delhi unit is roping in barbers to help it connect with people and enrol new members.

Bijender Singh Sain, head of BJP's 'Barber Cell', says there are 18,000-20,000 barbers in Delhi. "We have a huge network and will do whatever we can to promote BJP. In Delhi, we need a stable government which can solve the problems faced by people.''

The cell will recruit barbers in the next few days. "We will ask them to tell their clients about the achievements of the Modi government at the Centre. Our community has been neglected for long and we want the government to form a welfare board for us. Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have such boards to help barbers upgrade skills and bring in new technologies,'' said Sain.

The cell will give barbers publicity material like posters, pamphlets and banners to display in their shops. "We held a workshop of all the cells on Monday to plan a membership drive. We will provide them support to spread the word about our government's achievements in the past few months,'' said Harish Khurana, spokesperson of Delhi BJP.

Besides boosting enrolment, the cell is preparing for the assembly elections. "We will first tell our members about what the government has achieved in the past few months and how BJP can solve the problems of the city. As barbers meet a lot of people daily, they can easily tell more people about BJP and its plans for Delhi,'' said Sain.

For its membership drive, which was launched a few days ago, BJP is planning to reach out to a cross section of people. "From doctors and lawyers to religious institutions and RWAs, we are trying to reach out to all the people. We want people to know what BJP has done at the Centre and also about our government's interim budget for the city,'' said Satish Upadhyay, Delhi BJP president.