BJP cadres tense ahead of Modi’s maiden Kashmir rally

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 7

The long pending wish of Valley based BJP workers will be fulfilled on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will addresses his maiden public rally, but there is more tension than joy at the party’s Srinagar office.

The main cause of worry for local workers and leaders is making the rally successful and meeting their own target of bringing one lakh people to the venue at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium.

BJP workers were celebrating in a novel manner on Sunday by holding a shikara rally on the Dal Lake and missing no opportunity to make public their joy ever since the announcement of Modi’s visit. Anxiety is palpable among workers.

“I have not shaved for three days. When we last had a shave, we called a barber to our party office. We have been busy making arrangements,” said Altaf Thakur, party’s media cell in charge.

He said this visit was special as their dream would come true. “Though Modi came here a number of times, it was our dream to see him address a public rally in Kashmir,” he said.

A 23-member team led by BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh had been busy making arrangements for the visit. Around 3,000 vehicles had been deployed to ferry the audience.

Ensure record participation will be the main challenge for workers as the BJP is building its base and has not won a single seat so far. The team is confident of making the rally a big success.

They are confident that Modi’s visit will bring ‘peace’. He is coming after Friday’s dreaded militant strikes that left 21 dead. They included eight Army men and three policemen.

“We held a peace rally. Modi too is coming to give the message of peace with a vision for development,” Chugh said during the shikara rally.