| In several metros across India "" Jaipur, Bhopal, Mumbai""the BJP is planning to hold "Bharat Mahashakti Samaroh". These are designed to provide "political entertainment" to cadres as well as sympathisers. Between 7 pm and 10 pm (in accordance with the Election Commission regulations) the glittering galaxy of pro-BJP stars and entertainers will fly down to these metros and will hold skits, mimicry, sing songs and stage satires on a variety of issues that form the BJP's campaign. |
| Wary that these stars, who are relatively innocent of the BJP's ideological position on issues, might score self goals while entertaining their audience, the party has given strict instructions that the script will be provided by the central office. |
| So Kumar Sanu""who has joined the BJP"" and Ravindra Jain will sing songs that extol the virtues of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. Suresh Oberoi will do a skit. Dara Singh will deliver some dialogues from his movies. Hema Malini will dance and former Miss World Yukta Mookhey will...well, just look good. |
| The idea is the brainchild of party general secretary MA Naqvi and was thrashed out just four days ago, when the party realised that the individual presence of stars who had joined the party was not having enough effect. |
| Their presence at party meetings was cancelled and instead, will be used to leverage the party's chances in cities where the population is relatively apolitical. |
| How much of an effect the programmes will have in boosting the party's chances is an open question. "We are holding these to provide some light relief and political entertainment," said Anand Pandit, chief of the BJP's Commerce cell and co-ordinator of the programme. |
| Obviously, with the issue of development having taken a beating by the killings from the Lucknow stampede for sarees that cost Rs 40 each, and the foreign origins theme sputtering out, the BJP is looking for new ways to sell ideology. |
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