Indore:
Hours before a gigantic City of Tents opens for business, the new man in town conducted an elaborate puja, offering his prayers to Bada Ganesh in Indore.
From Wednesday, thousands of BJP leaders will look to Nitin Gadkari for direction for their party. For three days, they will discuss their strategy to combat the Congress and, more specifically, Rahul Gandhi. (
Read: (Not all) Welcome to BJP's city of canvas, Indore)
Perhaps that's why Gadkari dropped into a Dalit's home for lunch, a signature move of Gandhi's. Seated cross-legged on the floor, Gadkari shared what he'd wisher for earlier. "I prayed for the strength to work for my country and its poor." (
Watch: Gadkari does a Rahul, eats at Dalit's house)
Gadkari, like Gandhi, has already urged his party workers to focus on reconnecting with the aam admi. Now, the Gadkari Gameplan will be fleshed out. Each leader will be asked to head one social cause under the Antyodaya scheme.
The party will also be asked to attack the Congress, but without the shrill pitch that didn't work in the general elections in May last year. Climbing food prices and terror will be the BJP's focus.
The Pune blast over the weekend in which 10 people died and nearly 60 were injured has given the BJP a starting point for this new strategy.
Its own security has been planned in detail - 1600 surveillance cameras, bomb disposal squads, 3000 policemen will all man the City of Canvas.
And if Rahul Gandhi can take local trains in Mumbai, well, the BJP hopes to do better - by living in tents and riding cycles through its maze of tents.