Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sat in the last row at a two-day workshop organised by his party to rally Treasury members ahead of the Vice-President’s election, playing on the optics of a “common BJP worker”.
Modi was felicitated at the workshop for the “historic” GST reforms, and ruling MPs were given talking points that the party wants propagated among people to draw political mileage out of the decision.
The MPs were also given lessons in how to use their social media handles to promote the good work being done by the Modi government.
“At the NDA MPs’ workshop, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, seated in the last row, embodies the strength of the BJP; every worker is part of this organisation,” Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan posted on X, attaching a picture of Modi at the event.
Later, Modi too shared his pictures sitting in the last row. “Attended the ‘Sansad Karyashala’ in Delhi. MP colleagues from all over India and other senior leaders exchange valuable perspectives on diverse issues,” he posted on X.
“In our party, platforms like ‘Sansad Karyashala’ are important because they are great forums to learn from each other and deliberate on how we can serve people even better,” Modi added on his X post.
On the second day of the workshop on Monday, the NDA MPs, particularly the first-timers, will be imparted training on voting in the Vice-President election scheduled on Tuesday. The members of both Houses form the electoral college for the election of the Vice-President, and votes will be cast through secret ballots.
“We are eyeing victory by a big margin, and so MPs need to cast their votes without making any mistakes. A small mistake could disqualify their votes,” a BJP leader said.
The vice-presidential election would witness a direct contest between NDA nominee C.P. Radhakrishnan and the INDIA bloc’s Justice (Retd) B. Sudershan Reddy, both hailing from the south.
The NDA has a clear majority in terms of numbers, but the BJP wants to ensure that all MPs, particularly of alliance partners, are present to cast their votes.
The BJP leaders said the workshop was timed ahead of the VP polls to ensure the advance presence of the NDA MPs in the national capital and instil confidence that Modi’s popularity had soared after the reduction and rationalisation of GST rates.
“Voting in the VP election is through a secret ballot. Since party whip doesn’t apply in the election, chances of cross-voting cannot be ruled out,” a BJP MP said, indicating the need for rallying the MPs through an event like the workshop.
Although Andhra Pradesh-based key NDA ally, the Telugu Desam Party, has promised to back Radhakrishnan, there are fears that some MPs from the party could vote for Reddy, who hails from Hyderabad.
Modi, seen as a master event manager, stole attention by sitting in the last row, which party leaders said would boost the confidence of not only the BJP members but also the NDA MPs and ensure they vote as a bloc.
“The GST reforms were aimed to make life easier for the poor and common citizens, and Modiji sat like a common BJP worker to highlight the message,” a BJP MP said.