MCD polls: ‘Unimpressed’ BJP looks for new poll slogans, songs

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi may change its campaign focus for the April 23 municipal elections from ‘positivity’ to ‘highlighting Delhi government’s failure’ as the central leadership was not impressed with the present theme.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Friday had launched one of the party’s theme song ‘Bhajpa Dil main, Bhajpa Dilli main’ (BJP in our hearts, BJP in Delhi) — composed and sung by himself — and a slogan, Naye Chehre, Nayee Urja, Nayee Udaan, Dilli Mange Kamal Nishan (new faces, new energy, new flight, Delhi wants Lotus), for the polls.

Sources said a message has been conveyed to the campaign committee to create more such slogans specifically targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its convener Arvind Kejriwal.

“The central leadership thinks that our present campaign is not up to the mark. It has asked us to be precise and to take on Kejriwal and the AAP. The senior leaders are not thrilled with the Naye Chehre, Nayee Urja, Nayee Udaan, Dilli Mange Kamal Nishan slogan….The election campaign committee will continue with the present theme for now while new slogans are prepared and released. Similarly, the state unit has also been asked to work on another theme song,” said a party insider.

Soon after the launch of the campaign song, Tiwari had said the party was starting its campaign on a positive note.

“Citizens of Delhi are being misguided by the ruling government. So, we thought of a different strategy. We are starting our campaign on a positive note. We will go door-to-door and convince people to break the negativity and contribute to the development of the city under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Tiwari had said.

A senior councillor in North Delhi Municipal Corporation said the ‘naye chehre, nayee urja’ slogan had not gone well with the party workers either. “We have been working for the party for a long time. I don’t understand the logic behind the word ‘new’. Sitting councillors are being demeaned,” he said.