If the ‘Nano’ can get them to their destination, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will ride! That’s what the main opposition party is doing these days — riding on the popularity of the world’s cheapest car.
The saffron party has designed accessories including a pen-holder that resembles Tata Motors’ Nano car and plans to use them widely in electioneering. The miniature replica of the Nano embossed with the BJP’s lotus symbol is already popular in Gujarat and some of our candidates are planning to use it in other parts of the country as well, said a senior BJP leader involved with the campaign strategy.
Is the party violating trademark? “Nowhere the word ‘Nano’ is written on the mini car. It just looks like a Nano model,” the leader pointed out. In addition to the small car lookalike, the party has been distributing cotton T-shirts with words “Vote for Advani” imprinted on them and silk saree in green and orange colour with lotus symbol.
Since graffiti is banned and there are restrictions on loud speakers and on the use of number of vehicles by political parties, a bevy of other novelties including caps, band-aid, bindis, ear-ring, key-ring, steel chain with lotus symbol are being added to the party’s campaigning kit.
These materials are generally manufactured locally and it is up to the candidates to use it accordingly along with the party flags and festoons, he said.
The BJP has adopted a multi-pronged campaign strategy for the coming Lok Sabha elections. “This time our strategy is different than the last general elections. While we were in the government during the 2004 elections, now we are in the opposition,” BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said.