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How Amit Shah micro managed Bihar battle
By Brajendra Nath Singh
Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was no doubt the BJP’s face in the Bihar battle, but its micro management lay with BJP president Amit Shah and the IT cell in the Prime Minister’s Office, with dedicated party activists promised rewards ranging from cows to money.
After Modi’s election guru for the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Prashant Kishor, joined the opposition’s camp, the PMO’s IT cell became part of the strategy making in the BJP’s war room in Patna. The task was mammoth: ensure the first ever victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance in Bihar against the Grand Alliance — to prove that the loss of Delhi to the AAP in February was a fluke.
The IT team would contact party cadres across the state through audio conference. They were told to present their views without any hesitation.
“At a time 8-10 cadres from different areas were connected. They were told why this election was important for the BJP. An emotional chord with them was established,” a senior BJP leader in the war room who requested anonymity told IANS.
“During the session, a question-answer session was a must. The cadres could ask any question. And they had to be satisfied,” he added.
Some activists did underline that the BJP should have put up a chief ministerial candidate to counter Chief Minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar. The team would explain why this was not done.
The war room was managed by BJP veterans Anant Kumar, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav and Anil Jain, who reported to Shah, who in turn was in regular touch with Modi.
Leaders and cadres from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Delhi and other states were told to mobilize party members in Bihar and overcome their discontent.
To sulking BJP activists, these leaders would say: “Look, we are from other states but working hard for a victory in Bihar. But you are not with us.”
The BJP’s Pravasi Cell was provided data and transport and more and directed to go to areas where there was visible anger among cadres — and areas where the party was not drawing enough support.
An NRI cell motivated young voters to work and vote for the party. They were armed with contact details of influential residents in villages to influence them to vote for the BJP.
Bihari NRIs have set up a Bihar Society, registered in the US. Its leaders recently met Modi during his US visit.
These NRIs were encouraged to tell Bihari youths on phone from the West: “Why did we migrate from Bihar? Look at NRI Gujaratis. They invest in their state as there is infrastructure and an environment for investment. This will be possible in Bihar only when the BJP forms a government in Bihar.”
They created a group on WhatsApp called India for Developed Bihar.
Some BJP leaders and confidants of Modi and Shah began working at the micro level in Bihar from July.
One such MP from Gujarat was given the responsibility of 10 Bihar districts where the BJP had not done well in previous eletions.
He would go from one constituency to another, addressing and motivating party activists.
“Your first target is to increase the vote percentage at the booth level,” the activists were told. “If this goes up by 5 percent and the BJP wins even by a single vote, you will be rewarded.”
The promised rewards included Rs.50,000 or cows bought through an NGO on terms and conditions to form a cooperative.
The MP began this experiment in Nalanda, the home turf of Nitish Kumar.
A BJP leader told IANS: “If we win this election, it will be not due to the work done by the central government but due to the management at micro level by the Modi-Shah pair… This is strictly off the record.”
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.