BJP working on making Narendra Modi's fast a mega show

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is working on a single-line agenda of making chief minister Narendra Modi's 'Sadbhavna Mission' a mega show. Modi has announced he will fast for three days from Saturday for "strengthening Gujarat's environment of peace, unity and harmony".

For the BJP, it is a show of strength. All party workers have been asked to leave behind their routine works and join chief minister Modi for three days at Gujarat University Convention Center.

Although there is hardly anyone in the BJP who has the slightest doubt about a massive gathering during the CM's fast, the party is not taking any chance. All district unit presidents have been given targets to bring people to the venue.

For example, the Ahmedabad district BJP president has been asked to bring a minimum 25,000 people from various talukas of Ahmedabad, said a BJP worker. He also said that districts near Ahmedabad have been given higher targets, while far-off districts like Narmada have been given low targets.

BJP sources say there will be at least five lakh people at the venue. Many workers of the party are excited to observe symbolic fasts in support of the chief minister. "The state- level leaders may also observe symbolic fasts of eight or twelve hours, but only the CM will undertake full three-day fasting," said sources in BJP.

As Modi apparently wants to use this opportunity to catapult himself into the national level, party office-bearers have been briefed to get maximum media coverage for the event.

Gujarat University (GU) vice chancellor Parimal Trivedi said around one lakh students would sit on fast to support 'Sadhbhavna Mission'.