Amit Shah addresses ‘first virtual rally in history’, insists it is not ‘election’ rally

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 7

Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah, on Sunday, addressed a virtual rally amid the COVID-19 crisis to mark one year of Narendra Modi government 2.0 and said the Narendra Modi government had sent 1.25 crore migrants home safely during the lockdown.

Amit Shah, addressing ‘Bihar Jan-Samwaad’, called it the first virtual rally in the history of the country and insisted that it had nothing to do with the forthcoming elections in the state.

“My rally has nothing to do with elections. It is a rally to bring together the people of the county fighting against the COVID-19 crisis,” Amit Shah said while enlisting pro-poor, pro-women, pro-farmers and pro-migrants decisions announced by the Narendra Modi government during the crisis. He also lambasted the BJP’s political rivals in the state, including the RJD and the Congress.

Also read: Confident NDA will get two-third majority in Bihar polls under Nitish Kumar: Amit Shah

“Who has stopped you from holding virtual rallies?” he asked.

The RJD held a protest with the family of its supremo, Lalu Prasad, leading it.

The Home Minister thanked the people of the state for reposing faith in the Narendra Modi government.

“Bihar has always supported Narendra Modi,” he said.

The biggest benefit of the Narendra Modi government had been for the people from ‘poorvanchal’, West Bengal and the Eastern parts of the country, he said.

Calling it a fight for development and progress, Deputy CM Sushil Modi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the timely imposition of the lockdown and saving thousands of lives.

Amit Shah was called “shaurya purush” for uniting the nation.

Leaders from the state in the Central Government and the organisation were also present at the virtual rally.

The rally, held ahead of the assembly elections, marks the beginning of the BJP campaign in Bihar, where elections are due later this year. It remains to be seen whether the elections would be held as per the schedule. The party leadership says it is prepared whenever they are held.

The party has received criticism over plight and sufferings of migrants following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-hour notice for a country-wide lockdown.

In a world struggling with the new challenge of COVID-19 pandemic, the digital/virtual saffron rally marked the commencement of the new form of electioneering and its campaign for the crucial polls.

Senior BJP leaders, including party president JP Nadda, will be using the virtual platform to reach out to the voters in days to come.

While the BJP appears well prepared to handle the new situation and challenges it brings, rivals fear digital/virtual campaigns could end up favouring the saffron party given its well-oiled IT cell, social media teams and experience of high-tech electioneering in past.

Going virtual and digital for the month-long activities to mark the completion of one year of Narendra Modi government 2.0, the BJP will be relying majorly on new forms of ‘samvaad’ (communication) in its campaign for the Bihar elections.

Sources indicate that the party had already started identifying prominent persons in the constituencies, who can spread the message to the grassroots in times when large gatherings, rallies and corner meetings may no longer be the order of the day.

“‘Mandals’ have been asked to identify people who can act as a bridge and influence voters and with whom the leadership from the state and the national-level can directly communicate to ascertain the ground situation,” the sources said.