BJP's UP plan: NaMo App, Kabaddi and Viksit Bharat ambassadors

The BJP lost 16 of the 80 seats in UP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections - the party won 62 on its own and its ally, Apna Dal, got two. In the 2024 polls, it is aiming for a clean sweep and to achieve this, it has adopted a 'NaMo' formula.

BJP sources told ET that the party is targeting to add 20 million youth on the NaMo app. They will be contacted with the development agenda of the Modi government and BJP, and will be asked to spread the message on the ground. It is enrolling youth across the country as 'Viksit Bharat' brand ambassadors and UP, being the most populous state, is high on priority. Union ministers and state BJP leaders are participating in a Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to reach out to the beneficiaries of government welfare schemes as well as new voters.

On Sunday, the PM participated in one such programme in Varanasi - his Lok Sabha cnstituency.


The BJP Kisan Morcha is organising 'NaMo Kabaddi' tournaments at district levels. "It was organised across the country to promote and connect with new talent. In UP, we organised it in 90 organisational districts," state BJP Kisan Morcha president Kameshwar Singh told ET. The NaMo Kabaddi tournaments were held from November 25 to December 10, where around 45,000 players from 3,000 teams participated. The party is planning to organise a function in Lucknow where members of the champion and runner-up teams, totalling about 1,500 players, will be invited and facilitated in the presence of UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

The contacts of the 45,000 players has been linked on 'Saral' communication app for BJP workers. The party plans to reach out to them in January. BJP sources told ET that from October this year, party workers started door-to-door visits to check the status of voters and add new voters if any. As per party sources, they have added around 2 million voters who are largely BJP supporters.