Narendra Modi's formula for BJP to win back Lok Sabha seats from Congress

NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi today asked BJP to specially focus on those Lok Sabha constituencies where its candidates stood second behind Congress in the last elections and encash on the strong anti-incumbency against the ruling party to meet is ambitious target of securing majority.

Addressing BJP Chief Ministers, central office-bearers and state unit presidents here, Modi shared some interesting statistics to drive home his point.

"Modi said that in the last Lok Sabha elections, Congress had won 206 seats while BJP won 116. In most of the constituencies where Congress was the winner, BJP had come second. The total vote difference in these seats between Congress and BJP is only 89 lakh. But in the last five years, 12 lakh new voters have been added," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate claimed these young new voters are attracted to the main opposition and they should be further courted by the party.

While BJP will peg its election campaign around its PM candidate and have "Modi for PM" as its slogan, it is also using the methods adopted by other parties to win votes.

"One vote, one note" is the mantra through which BJP aims to collect funds for the party. However, the range has been fixed between Rs 10 to Rs 1,000 and BJP will reach out to 10 crore families for this purpose.

Asked if this idea is inspired by AAP which had engaged in a similar exercise, Javadekar said "the cue has been taken from 1977 onwards. We have always asked for funds and votes both. Our party runs with the funds from the people."

BJP was in denial mode about AAP being a threat in the Lok Sabha polls and said this issue was not even discussed.

"People clearly said in the Delhi elections that in the minor election they are voting for AAP while in the major one they will vote for Modi," Javadekar said.

Rousing nationalist sentiments by invoking and appropriating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other such figures will also be high on BJP's agenda. The statue of unity will be a rallying point in the campaign as farmers and workers will be asked to chip in with iron and soil for the project.