For those mesmerised by AAP, it's still BJP which holds a lead

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday met volunteers in the inaugural India272+ Dialogues in New Delhi. He heard the views of the volunteers and presented his views on various issues. He answered several questions and inspired the volunteers to keep working for the nation and advised them to look beyond just an election. Modi also asked the volunteers to engage with the social media and share views with the people of India. The moderator at the programme was BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Smriti Irani.

Speaking before the beginning of the event, BJP MP Piyush Goyal said lakhs of volunteers have committed themselves to make the Mission272+ a successful venture through the India272+ platform. He said many of these volunteers are not BJP supporters and yet want to see Modi as the next prime minister of India.

Goyal also spoke about various activities on the http://www.India272.com, including the online and on-ground activities through the forum.

Organisation is BJP's strength

Mission 272+ is not the only initiative. There are pro-Modi groups like Citizens for Accountable Journalism (CAG) which also woo the youth and is currently focus on 13 seats, including Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP under Modi's leadership is looking for a revival. The CAG doesn't speak explicitly in favour of Modi but will indirectly pitch in with issues that the BJP's prime ministerial candidate stresses. It will engage with the youth in 196 cities, mostly in the second-rung cities.

The CAG, which aims to build a grassroots community, rose to prominence last October when it gathered 7,000 college representatives to interact with Modi. The body is also associated with Modi's mega project of building the statue of Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel as the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.

Besides, the BJP Yuva Morcha is also active to reach out to more and more students and through this, make the party connect better with the youth ahead of the next polls.

Support at individual level

Even when it comes to individual support, the BJP received a shot in the arm on Thursday when cop-turned-activist Kiran Bedi, a youth icon and known close with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, endorsed Modi as the prime minister for she felt he is the best man to give it stability.

Taking into consideration the support base that the BJP has, both at the community and individual level, the media hyping the national membership drive of the AAP must remember that the former is already a national party with a strong organisational framework which is better equipped to push its pro-people drive when compared to a fledgling AAP.

Why all focus only on AAP?

It is also surprising to see how the entire media focus after the recent assembly elections has remained stuck on Delhi despite the BJP emerging the single largest party in four states, including Delhi but yet not many are speaking about Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh and Harsh Vardhan. The fourth might be a political lightweight but still the BJP had won the most number of seats in the Delhi polls and Vardhan certainly deserved a better post-poll treatment.

Modi himself hasn't uttered any word against the AAP so far while his lieutenants are doing all the talking. Some are attacking the AAP while some are trying to follow the AAP model, which says that there might be an air of uncertainty on how to go about it since the enemy was there from the beginning. But a common BJP supporter has nothing to feel demoralised to see the predominance of the AAP in the popular space for media coverage is the only alternative for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party in the absence of a strong organisation. The BJP has a much stronger organisation to serve it during the polls and that is the most significant aspect of the entire story.

Narendra Modi interacts with volunteers

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders interact with voluenteers at Mission 272+ Dialogues event in New Delhi on Thursday, January 9, 2014.

Narendra Modi interacts with volunteers

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders interact with voluenteers at Mission 272+ Dialogues event in New Delhi on Thursday, January 9, 2014.

Narendra Modi interacts with volunteers

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders interact with voluenteers at Mission 272+ Dialogues event in New Delhi on Thursday, January 9, 2014.

Narendra Modi interacts with volunteers

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders interact with voluenteers at Mission 272+ Dialogues event in New Delhi on Thursday, January 9, 2014.