Narendra Modi kicks off BJP's 'Chai Pe Charcha' campaign; says tea stalls are like Footpath Parliament

NEW DELHI: Kicking off the Chai Pe Charcha' campaign, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed people from a tea stall in Gujarat. Talking about the need for good governance, Modi said, "Presently, I think the trust is broken. If the people have lost faith in a government they elected how can nation run."

"Bad governance is like diabetes. It brings a lot of other problems like corruption with it," Modi said. Talking about the choice of a tea stall to interact with people, Modi said, "Tea stall is like a Footpath Parliament, all topics under the sun are discussed." "I have myself learnt a lot while selling tea. Sometimes there were insults also. It was a special experience," he shared.

"Through this campaign, I have got the opportunity to reach out to so many people. Tea and technology have given us this great opportunity," Modi said. Under the drive, Modi visited a tea stall and interacted with common people over the brew through DTH, satellite service and social media.

The programme will be relayed at 1,000 tea stall locations identified by BJP in 300 cities across the country, including 61 locations in 22 cities and towns in Gujarat, via video conferencing.

BJP managers term it as an out-of-the-box initiative, especially against the backdrop of the way electoral campaigning is traditionally conducted by political parties.

The campaign strategy stems from Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark on humble beginnings of Modi as a tea vendor.

Turning the taunt to Modi's advantage, BJP poll managers have decided to use Modi's background to reach out to the maximum number of voters by inviting them to talk to the leader as part of the initiative.