Rs 25 crore donation, 36 committees, 14 trains: BJP pulls out all the stops for Narendra Modi rally

Mumbai: In a desperate attempt to galvanise its divided legions, the state unit of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is pulling out all the stops for the December 22 rally that will be addressed by Narendra Modi, the party's prime ministerial candidate. 36 committees have been formed to make for flawless planning and 14 trains booked to ferry party workers.

Over a lakh of the party's booth chiefs spread across the state have been asked to flock to the city for the rally to make it a success, revealed state unit office bearers. The city unit of the BJP, entrusted with the task of making arrangements for the rally, has appointed as many as 36 committees for a host of tasks - from stage design, sanitation, SMS and emails to coordinating with the Sangh Parivar.

A special committee has been appointed to arrange for a special enclosure at Diamond Market, very close to the Bandra-Kurla Complex grounds where Modi will deliver his address. The party expects people from the spheres of business, films and television to attend the rally and separate committees have been formed accordingly, said Vivekananda Gupta, secretary of the city unit of the BJP.

Apart from asking the younger leaders to take charge of these committees, the party has roped in old veterans as well, such as former union ministers Ram Naik and Jaywantiben Mehta. While Naik has been asked to head coordination with Railways, Mehta has been asked to liaise with various institutions.

'First note, then vote': Leaders scurry to collect cash for campaign

The BJP has decided to shower largesse on Modi for his campaign, of which Rs 25 crore will come from Mumbai. Senior party leader Gopinath Munde has appealed to the BJP cadre to start collecting funds that would be offered to Modi for the party's election campaign. "'First note, then vote' should be our slogan, similar to the call made in 1977 by the Janasangha," Munde is believed to have told BJP party workers. He has announced a personal donation of Rs 1 lakh and vowed to collect Rs 17 crore from the Marathwada region.