BJP telegenics: Dress smart, lay off Sonia
Swati Chaturvedi
The Indian Express
May 25, 1999
Title: BJP telegenics: Dress smart, lay off Sonia
Author: Swati Chaturvedi
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: May 25, 1999
With elections round the corner, the Bharatiya Janata Party is gearing
up to cover one weak flank: Telegenics. Acknowledging the Congress's
edge in this vitally important sphere, the party has got together an
A-team including politicians Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj and
spin doctors Kanchan Gupta and Balbir Punj to work out strategy.
The first meeting, attended by 21 party members, was held at former
Delhi chief minister Sushma Swaraj's residence yesterday; it drew up a
list of '10 commandments' that those appearing on TV are supposed to
adhere to.
These include:
* dress younger
* Do not attack Sharad Pawar
* Keep up the heat on Bofors
* Be prepared with facts and figures
* Do not savage Sonia Gandhi a Project Atal Behari Vajpayee, the
party's "greatest asset".
In the run-up to the elections, these Sunday workshops will be a
regular feature, say BJP sources. At yesterday's workshop, several
decisions were taken, including getting a formal clearance before
appearing on TV. Besides, the party campaign committee will set up
key two or three-member teams of leaders with specialisation such as
Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Power Minister R Kumaramangalam
for economic affairs. Rita Verma and former Delhi Government Minister
Poornima Sethi will be the BJP's key team on women's affairs.
To ensure that BJP leaders know exactly what they are saying on
talking points such as Bofors, experts Arun Jaitly and Arun Shourie
will hold briefings devoted exclusively to Bofors.
A decision was also taken to ensure that the Congress feels the heat
on Bofors, which is to be dragged in on all public occasions.
There was also a rare display of introspection with those present
acknowledging the TV skills of opponents such as Congress spokesman
Ajit Jogi and taking a leaf from his book by vowing to "always come
across as reasonable."
On the dress code, the consensus was that the Congress was
deliberately dressing down to appeal to younger voters and that the
BJP should also follow suit.
And, in a neat reversal of roles, party leaders yesterday rated the
top TV anchors.
The scale rates from aggressive like Karan Thapar (be well prepared)
to relatively milder ones who don't go on the warpath.
For the time being Sharad Pawar YAII emerge unscathed as the leaders
present for yesterday's meeting decided not to directly target him.
Sonia Gandhi's foreign origins caused a lot of debate but, their
seemed to be no consensus on the line to take on TV.
However, there was unanimity on projecting Vajpayee the party's ace.
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