The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is activating its volunteers in 25 countries to campaign for the crucial 2019 elections. When campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections peaks, volunteers from Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) – the party's foreign cell – will begin calling friends, family members, acquaintances and alumni back home in India and appeal to them to vote for the Modi government, sources say. A sizeable number of volunteers will even fly down to take part in campaigning.
The Indian diaspora is considered among the most influential communities in the world. OFBJP active members in 25 chapters across the world. In the US alone, there are 5,000 active members; the UK chapter has 2,000 members.
Vijay Chauthaiwale, head of BJP's Foreign Affairs cell, said the party would enlist the Indian diaspora platform massively during the 2019 campaign. Emphasising that Indians overseas are "extremely enthusiastic" to see Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister again, Chauthaiwale said the party is banking on his "overreaching appeal" and his "global outreach".
"This time around, BJP's overseas campaign is based on the fact that India has become a world power under the able leadership of PM Modi. He has successfully unlocked the country's economic potential, and therefore it is necessary there be a Modi government 2.0. OFBJP will drive this message home," he said.
OFBJP also played an important role in BJP's 2014 campaign. Chauthaiwale, who was instrumental in organising the party's outreach then, said the Indian diaspora is extremely happy with Modi as Prime Minister and many have volunteered to campaign for him for a second term.
The OFBJP has plans to blitz social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Snapchat and some websites to co-ordinate volunteer efforts. Apart from active OFBJP members, there are millions of Modi supporters and well-wishers in the Indian diaspora, which the BJP's overseas cell will try to rope in for campaigning, sources say.
In mid-December, the OFBJP conducted a workshop in London to mobilize volunteers and several other such workshops are lined up in the next three months, sources say.
A number of OFBJP karyakatas will attend the Prabasi Bharatiya Diwas scheduled to be held in Varanasi – the PM's constituency – later this month. After the event, the body's core members will meet in Delhi to execute an action plan.
Additionally, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh – a subsidiary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will extend its support for mobilising Hindus living outside India. A Bill to extend voting rights to Indians living overseas, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in August last year, is likely to come up in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
