From Schemes to Selfies, BJP to Kick Off Year-Long Outreach to Woo Women Voters Ahead of 2024 Polls

With women emerging as a strong voting bloc in recent elections and the Bharatiya Janata Party believing them to be a major chunk of its support base, the party is going all out to strengthen its connect with women voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

With a targeted focus on the beneficiaries, the BJP has asked its women cadre to reach out to 1 crore women beneficiaries of all government schemes and click selfies with them while collecting their details. They have been asked to post the selfies on social media with the hashtag #selfiewithmahilalabharthi.

According to Vanathi Srinivasan, Mahila Morcha president, the BJP has chalked out a plan to reach out to women beneficiaries and ensure that they acknowledge the improved standard of living under the Narendra Modi government. The process of reaching out to women beneficiaries and registering their details will begin this month and will continue till February next year, Srinivasan said.

“This would be a year-long program where women karyakartas will go out and search for women beneficiaries. They will then interact with the government scheme beneficiaries and click a selfie with them. This way our karykaratas will get to meet more people and know them and the schemes for which they are eligible,” said the BJP Mahila Morcha chief.

With more women coming out to vote independent of their families’ traditional bent towards a political party, the Modi government has started many schemes to make the lives of women respectable and smooth. With Lok Sabha elections approaching, the BJP is now set to leverage this connect.

The Mahila Morcha is also planning a sammelan (conclave) of countrywide women representatives from panchayats to Parliament. The date, however, is yet to be decided.

The BJP had maintained that the schemes reach beneficiaries without discrimination, but some leaders had pointed out that at many places, some beneficiaries did not vote for the party. Reaching out to women beneficiaries, the party aims to explain how the schemes have improved their lives.

Training to Identify Prospective Voters

The party is looking at the outreach as an attempt to motivate cadre and equip them with knowledge of government schemes. This is also seen as training for new karyakartas to build skills that require convincing capabilities. The party also wants to woo more of these beneficiaries.

Online Courses for Women Cadre

To ensure that women office-bearers know government schemes well, the party will also organise online courses till mandal level. Sources said there are 12 schemes selected for this course and it will a 15-hour program. A practical session will be included before the test. Successful office-bearers will get e-certificates on completion.

Programs Throughout the Year

The Mahila Morcha has decided to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 at the national level, while in April the party will celebrate Foundation Day and Millet Food Festival at district-level. In May, there would be a Tribal Women Outreach Program. In June, influencers, professionals, yoga gurus and women from 50 such categories will be invited for talks.

In July, there will be a Voter Enrolment Drive during which ‘My First Vote for Modi’ will be launched, targeting first-time voters. In September, the focus will be on women students, especially those who live in hostels.

October will see focus on Poshan Abhiyana and Navratri Kanya Pujan. In November, the Morcha has planned PM Modi’s townhall-style interaction with first-time women voters. December will witness the PM addressing a grand rally for Kamaldoots.

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