Modi to interact with people over ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 19

The BJP believes it has hit a winner for the 2019 elections with the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ (I too am watchman) campaign, which it is now all set to intensify with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interactions with self-proclaimed ‘chowkidars’, all those who have pledged support to his campaign from across the country.  

On the eve of ‘holi’ tomorrow evening, he will interact with 25 ‘lakh chowkidars’ via audio bridge and on March 31 he will interact with 500 locations via video conferencing to those linked with the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar movement’.

Clearly, the BJP believes the campaign is turning into a “movement”, a ‘jan andolan’ (people’s movement).  However, whether ‘chowkidar’ will be the ‘chaiwala’ moment and the interaction on the lines of ‘chai pe charcha’ in 2014, then a novelty, will find the same traction in 2019 is the question.

After a so-so response to ‘Modi hai to Mumkin hai’ (if Modi is there, it is possible) campaign, highlighting the image of an “indefatigable Modi and his ability to take quick decisions on complicated matters with clarity and determination”, the ‘chowkidar’ theme does seem to have caught the attention of the people, both supporters and detractors. 

The BJP believes the more Opposition leaders berate the PM on ‘chowkidar’ issue the better it will be for the party. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ movement had become a “people’s movement” and taken social media by storm with the hashtag being tweeted 20 lakh times and 1,680 crore impressions.

However the Prime Minister’ prefixing ‘chowkidar’ on his twitter handle also led to an equal amount of disdain. As BJP leaders and supporters jumped on board, the Opposition rushed to run it down. Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Trinamool Congress leader’ Derek O’Brien, Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP’s Mayawati all made fun of it  Reacting to the campaign Mayawati rewound to ‘chaiwalla’ which BJP used to its advantage in  2014.

“After BJP launch ‘Mai Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign, PM Modi & others added the prefix ‘Chowkidar’ to their Twitter handles. So now Narendra Modi is Chowkidar & no more a ‘Chaiwala’ which he was at the time of last LS election. What a change India is witnessing under BJP rule. Bravo!” she wrote. 

There was also a counter-campaign from new entry into the Congress Hardik Patel, who used the prefix ‘Berojgar’ (unemployed) which too gained considerable traction.

For the BJP looking for a theme to match its 2014 campaign revolving around ‘chaiwalla’ and ‘achche din’, the chowkidar campaign  was initially meant to counter  Rahul Gandhi’s ‘chowkidar chor hai’ (watchman is the thief) barb. Prasad, however, rejected the suggestion and asserted that Modi in his campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls had projected himself as the “first servant” and “chowkidar” of the country. 

Modi’s 2014 campaign was hugely powered by his projection of himself as a ‘chaiwala’ or tea-selling stint in his young days. During his tenure, he pitched himself as a chowkidar (guard) fighting corruption. Rahul Gandhi has used the same term to target him over the Rafale jet deal with ‘chowkidar chor hai’. On Saturday, Modi urged his supporters to take the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ pledge, saying he was not alone in the fight against graft and social evils.