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What I Saw at BJP’s Delhi Headquarters on Counting Day

In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.

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On my way to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters on Tuesday, 11 February, I was anticipating to be greeted by a sea of charged party workers, as is the case at political gatherings and rallies. But, the day turned out to be unusually uneventful – well, at least for the BJP karyakartas.

In stark contrast to the loud, communal and divisive tone that characterised the BJP’s campaign, there was an absolute lack of colour and action at the party’s Pradesh headquarters at Delhi’s Pandit Pant Marg as the counting of votes was underway.
In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.
The view from when you enter the BJP’s Delhi headquarters. On the right is the media hall and on the left, a lot of the media persons were stationed. 
(Photo: Aishwarya S Iyer/The Quint)

Considering that the counting of votes had barely begun, the silence was particularly conspicuous – especially as the BJP had campaigned in Delhi with great show and pomp, deploying its top-rung leaders to conduct rallies and set the agenda.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi led two big rallies, Home Minister Amit Shah held 35 rallies and nine road shows, while Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath led 12 rallies ahead of the polls.

Compared to this star-studded campaign, there were no prominent faces, no prominent spokespersons, no prominent leaders with a mass appeal and ofcourse, no cakes on the final counting day.

Though I have to give it to the BJP, it still had food for the media, something my colleague at the headquarters of AAP, which swept the elections, said he was not offered till much later.

In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.
Food was set, ready and served at the BJP headquarters.
(Photo: Aishwarya S Iyer/The Quint)

And speaking of cake, it reminds me how on 23 May at the BJP's national headquarters, food items came out one after the other. I was present the day BJP stunned everyone by winning over 300 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. Apart from cakes and laddoos, there was dhol and dancing, and with songs playing all afternoon, the mood was carnivalesque.

That day, BJP workers and supporters from as far Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar thronged the headquarters to participate in the jubilation.

However, at the Delhi headquarters, these very workers were conspicuous by their absence, right from 8:30 in the morning.
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When a TV reporter at the spot did a live, telling his anchor there was no movement whatsoever at the BJP office, an annoyed BJP worker tried to interrupt him by denying what was apparent. But his attempt to salvage the situation was unsuccessful as no one joined him in support. Why? Because no one was there.

Some workers did complain as BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari did not to show up at the headquarters. Despite the loss, the opinion was that he should have met his party the workers to express solidarity.

And, as the counting progressed, it became hard to contest the fact that the AAP was going to come back with a thumping majority. In the midst of this realisation, a poster at the party office grabbed everyone's attention.

In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.
This poster is on the right as soon as you enter BJP’s Delhi headquarters.
(Photo: Aishwarya S Iyer/The Quint)

It read, and I translate: ‘When we win, we do not become arrogant and when we lose, we do not get disappointed.’

The poster could be seen on the right, right after entering the headquarters. As videos and pictures of this poster, with a smiling Amit Shah in the foreground, reached various news studios, you could hear pundits asking if it meant that the BJP was ready to lose the Delhi polls.

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A senior national media incharge with a tilak on his forehead went around screaming in anger, conveying to the spokespersons sitting on their chairs that the poster was, in fact, ten years old.

"Tell them, tell them the truth," he said, gesticulating in the air and staring at anyone who came his way.

In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.
The media room at the BJP headquarters, where exclusive kiosks are reserved for specific TV channels.
(Photo: Aishwarya S Iyer/The Quint)

Soon after, I interviewed a BJP spokesperson and cautiously asked him about the need to rejig the party’s strategy. I expected him to be diplomatic in his response but, he clearly said that the BJP had lost the election and would need to re-evaluate why.

As word got out of the impending AAP rout, spokespersons were instructed not to accept the defeat already. Chaos ensued as spokespersons tried to mediate varied responses.

The mood was fairly obvious though. No one was expecting the BJP to make a comeback and the party workers soon began indulging in blame games.

In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.
The karyakartas spoke about how BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari did not visit them.
(Photo: Aishwarya S Iyer/The Quint)
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While some blamed Tiwari for being an outsider, others blamed the party’s ticket distribution and questioned the logic of putting up candidates from the wrong constituencies. Disgruntled BJP workers, who had not got tickets, were the loudest.

While fingers were being pointed at everyone, no one spoke a word against PM Modi or Shah's strategy. If anything, the consensus was that any seats won were a result of the top leaders’ campaigning in Delhi.

The few karyakartas who had showed up also left as the day progressed. But, unlike the national BJP representatives, Delhi BJP seemed a lot more approachable. They seemed kinder, and offered food and tea to the journalists present.

Some also made it a point to introduce this reporter to other BJP members present. A peek into the infighting and factionalism within the Delhi BJP, however, exposed how disgruntled they were.

On the national front, the BJP projects a confident image, but when it comes to its Delhi unit, BJP workers are acutely aware of the fact that there party has not formed a government in the National Capital since 1998.
In stark contrast to BJP’s loud campaign, their Delhi headquarters at Pandit Pant Marg lacked any action or colour.
The room where the press conference would have been held by senior BJP leaders if they had won the Delhi elections on 11 February 2020.
(Photo: Aishwarya S Iyer/The Quint)

While the BJP has maintained that its core strategy of fighting elections on nationalism and the Shaheen Bagh protests was not wrong, taking cues from the poster, one could definitely sense nirasha or disappointment all through counting day.

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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