Farmers Movement Archive

UP polls: Adityanath among ‘panna pramukhs’ for micro-level voter contact

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his Cabinet colleagues and top ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries are among five million “panna pramukhs” nominated for micro-level contact with voters listed on each page of the electoral list for the state elections, people aware of the matter said. The polls in the country’s most populous state that sends the biggest contingent of lawmakers - 80 - to the Parliament are due early next year and are seen as crucial for the BJP’s prospects in the 2024 national polls. Union home minister Amit Shah is seen as the originator of the micro-level poll management that has been credited as one of the reasons for the BJP’s electoral successes. Also Read: Ahead of UP polls, SP chief Akhilesh’s Jinnah remark triggers political rowHe introduced the “panna pramukh” concept in 2007 in Gujarat. It was first implemented nationally in the 2014 national polls and also in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections, which Shah was in charge of. The BJP, which managed to win just 47 seats in the 2012 poll, swept to power in the state with 325 seats in the 403-member House in 2017. The party won 71 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014. It swept the national polls again in 2019 in the state by winning 64 seats despite a formidable alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).BJP functionaries said a “panna pramukh” is expected to reach out to between 27 to 60 voters and galvanise them in the BJP’s favour through personal visits. The concept has been scaled up with the inclusion of top leaders for the first time in Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath has accordingly been named as the “panna pramukh” of booth No. 246 of the Gorakhpur (urban) assembly seat, while his deputy, Keshav Prasad Maurya, that of booth No. 254 in Prayagraj. Other prominent “panna pramukhs” include deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, state BJP chief Swatantra Dev, Union ministers Mahendra Singh and Sanjeev Balyan.“All the 60 ministers including the chief minister are panna pramukhs of their respective polling booths. So are nearly all the party functionaries,” said BJP leader Chandramohan, who is also among the “panna pramukhs”.A second BJP leader said that “panna pramukhs” would reach out to the voters listed on each page of the voter list and tell them about the BJP’s ideology, stance and commitment to various issues. “[They will] also clear misconceptions, and any doubts that the voter may have and to encourage two-way interaction.” The second leader said there would also be a “panna” panel for better voter outreach.The BJP has also launched “main bhi panna pramukh (I too am a panna pramukh)” campaign on Facebook to mobilise its cadres.Defence minister Rajnath Singh, in an address to the BJP’s state executive committee in March in his Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, said the position of a “panna pramukh” is as important as that of the party chief.BJP leaders said the party is also appointing heads at the level of all 16,30,00 polling booths as it is up against spirited opposition.The party faces a major challenge in western Uttar Pradesh, which has emerged among the strongholds of the agitation against the three farm laws enacted last year. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been at the forefront of efforts to revive her party in the state, where it has been out of power for over three decades. She has over the last few weeks met the families of the protesting farmers, who were run over by a car in Lakhimpur Kheri, as well as the kin of a sanitary worker allegedly killed in police custody in Agra and farmers, who died in Bundelkhand, amid alleged fertiliser shortage.The BSP has been wooing the Brahmins, who are counted among the BJP’s core supporters, to replicate its success in the 2007 assembly elections.A third BJP leader referred to Shah’s visit to Lucknow last week and said he asked the cadres to ensure they visit each household to convey the party’s message. “It is part of a well-thought plan by the party leadership... they would have mapped each locality. The data the party has about voters in each area is being verified through such physical visits which would also help provide feedback to the party for the manifesto for 2022 polls.”The BJP strategists are hoping that such contacts involving top leaders will raise the voter turnout in the party’s favour. “The idea is to have several ground-level cadres at the booth level of varying backgrounds to maximise the outreach,” a fourth party leader said, requesting anonymity.

Hindustan Times

02-11-2021

India