BJP follows AAP for Delhi polls; public to write manifesto

NEW DELHI: This election, BJP seems to be following in its rival AAP's footsteps. This time, the party is going to hold consultations with the public for preparing its poll manifesto.

From December 8 onwards, BJP will hold meetings with various groups—women, students, lawyers, traders, minorities, people living in urban villages, inhabitants of slums and those in trans-Yamuna areas—to get a grasp of their key concerns.

The manifesto will address these concerns. The party plans to put out 30-40 letterboxes at strategic locations in the city for people to drop their ideas for the manifesto.

"For the first time, we are planning to hold large-scale consultations with various groups of population. We want people to tell us their key concerns. Our party will try to address it once it comes to power. Issues raised by the people during these consultations will find a mention in our manifesto for the forthcoming assembly election," said Alok Kumar, convener of Delhi BJP's manifesto committee, which will be reconstituted shortly. The new manifesto committee will be chaired by Kumar, sources said.

In a break from tradition, this time the committee will comprise 14-odd members instead of seven and also include people representing different sections of society. It is also likely to include several senior functionaries like South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri and former MLA from Janakpuri Jagdish Mukhi among others.

"We will start these consultations from December 8 and wrap them up in a month. We are also focusing on people living in villages, slums, unauthorized colonies and trans-Yamuna areas. These places are neglected most often,'' Kumar said. Sources said the party's decision to hold separate consultations with villages, slums, trans-Yamuna areas and unauthorized colonies has been made keeping in mind the AAP vote bank.

"This time, the party is focusing on AAP strongholds. Special consultations will be held with people belonging to Scheduled Castes. The Scheduled Castes vote bank shifted from Congress to BSP and then over to AAP. Despite becoming the single largest party in the capital, BJP couldn't capture their mind-space. This community played a crucial role in boosting AAP's performance,'' said a senior BJP member. The party plans to install letterboxes in strategic locations where people can drop their suggestions. "Though BJP has invited suggestions on its website online, there are many who are not internet-savvy,'' Kumar explained.