BJP's achche din campaign fails to shed govt's 'anti-farmer, pro-corporate' image

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is keen to counter the public perception that it's "pro-corporate" and "anti-farmer", as it prepares to celebrate the first anniversary of the Narendra Modi government in May. It has put in place a two-month long "Modi government brings #achche din (better days)" campaign to highlight its success. On Tuesday, the party released a compilation of 44 info-graphics that highlight Modi government's achievements.

As part of this strategy, senior party leaders have been asked to engage with mediapersons to underscore how the land Bill was "pro-farmer". Senior party leaders, however, refuse to accept that the "pro-corporate" and "anti-farmer" image was mostly self-inflicted.

A senior party leader blamed "some of the last surviving Leftists" in Delhi's media and academic institutions like the Jawaharlal Nehru University to be running a misinformation campaign against the government. "It's a perception war we have been fighting since 2002 (Gujarat riots)," the leader said. He said any "communication gap" the BJP had was with the media and not with people, with whom the party had a "direct connect".

The party is confident the land acquisition issue will not harm it in the Bihar Assembly election. Its central leadership has, however, muted their criticism of regional parties that helped in the passage of key reform Bills. Party leaders also dismissed reports that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is concerned about the "anti-farmer" image of the Modi government for its advocacy of the land Bill. They said voices of dissent were proof that the Sangh Parivar believes in internal democracy. The 44-page document stresses on the Modi government's proposed nine amendments to its land ordinance "to strengthen pro-farmer aspects of the land ordinance".

It lists the land ordinance and opening of over 12-crore bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, as some of the achievements of the Modi government, along with the passage of coal and insurance Bills and 100 per cent foreign direct investments in the pharmaceutical sector.

The info-graphics quote various national and international surveys and studies to showcase all-round "better days" under Modi government - reviving stalled projects, checking food inflation, improving investor confidence, improvement in ease of doing business, growth in manufacturing and services sectors, India emerging as the fastest growing economy in the world, etc.