BJP will launch Gujarat Gaurav Yatra from October 1 ahead of assembly elections. (File)
The BJP has come up with a response to the social media campaign backed by the Congress that mocks the Gujarat growth story. And it keeps the focus sharply on development, the changes that the state has seen during the two decades that the BJP has been in power. The tagline: "
Hu Vikas Chhu... Hu Gujarat chhu (I am development... I am Gujarat).
"Gujarat has witnessed unprecedented development in various sectors during the last 20 years, and the figures are mind-blowing," said senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal, one of the many party leaders tasked to oversee the party's campaign in the state.
Mr Goyal was speaking at the release of the party's promotional videos seen as a counter to the Congress' campaign around
Vikas Gando Thayu chhe (Development has gone crazy). Essentially, the short videos try to capture the difference the BJP has made to the lives of ordinary Gujaratis, particularly women, youth and farmers.
"Every citizen of Gujarat is behind the success of the Gujarat growth story... Every single Gujarati represents development and we are proud of that," said Mr Goyal. The party hopes to repeat the powerful use of social media by Narendra Modi in his winning campaign against the Congress, first to win the Gujarat elections in 2012 and later, the national elections in two years later.
The message - that the development the state had seen in two decades is no less than a miracle - will also be reinforced during the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra through the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel will lead the first phase of the yatra that will highlight the achievements of the state. Mr Goyal said the yatra will start from Karamsad, the birthplace of Sardar Patel in Anand district on October 1.
Gujarat BJP leaders insisted that its tagline around development had nothing to do with the tagline, development has gone crazy, that first appeared on the Facebook of an engineering student and soon caught on.