NEW DELHI: The BJP’s Delhi unit has started a video survey for getting feedback on the performance of city and central government for working out a ‘smart’ campaign to outdo its rivals AAP and Congress in the general elections. The task to also record the views and feedback of electorates on the performance of all seven Delhi MPs, besides those of the Congress, is assigned to the media department of the Delhi BJP unit.  

“Around 700 videos have been recorded by our teams. We ask the people about possible solutions to issues faced by them. Their feedback will be provided to senior leaders and candidates going out for campaign. If the leaders refer those issues in their speeches, it will help them to connect with the residents. This is a smart way to understand the people’s issue,” said Neelkant Bakshi, co-incharge media, social media and IT cell, Delhi BJP.

The media department will use these videos for preparing area-specific campaign plans. It has engaged a team of 36 research experts, who will collate information and statistics to prepare a dossier for media panellists and spokesperson participating in television debates.   The need for a research desk was discussed in the department’s meeting on Wednesday at the Delhi BJP headquarters in which all spokespersons, Bakshi, and Pratysuh Kanth, who is in-charge of media, social media and IT cell, were present. The meet, which was held to review the campaign strategy, was presided by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.  

Media panelists going to TV debates were directed to debrief the department about their experience and participation. “If a spokesperson gives feedback about difficulties or good points raised by other panelists in the programme, we will prepare ourselves to counter those issues effectively. This is what spokespersons have been told in the meeting. We also met to chalk out a strategy to counter the Congress campaign, which is based on the NYAY scheme,” Bakshi said.

The Delhi Congress has started its campaign highlighting Rahul Gandhi’s poll sop ‘NYAY scheme’, which promises a minimum income of `72,000 per annum to five crore poor households. The Congress manifesto mentions NYAY scheme as one of its major poll planks. The AAP has also intensified its campaign themed on the demand of full statehood for Delhi. “Full statehood is no issue. Surveys show Delhi people have rejected this bogey raised by the AAP,” claimed a BJP spokesperson.