Hoping to pull 'rabbit out of the hat', BJP ropes in magicians to woo voters in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Oct 22: Anti-incumbency is a major factor in any election and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is seeking a fourth term in the state, knows it well. Not only is the BJP battling anti-incumbency, the main oppostion, Congress, is also looking in a better position this time, when compared to the 2013 elections.

The BJP main campaign pitch would be to highlight the achievements of Chouhan-led-government during his three terms. The saffron party is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their campaign reaches every corner of the state. The latest ploy adopted by the BJP for this is to rope in magicians to highlight the work done by the Chouhan government in the last 15 years.

The party would be roping in magicians to highlight the work done by it in the last 15 years and compare it with that of the previous Congress government, state BJP spokesman, Rajnish Agrawal told PTI.

"We have plans to hire magicians for campaigning and publicity," he said, adding that magic shows would be organised at market places to reach out to voters, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.

The number of magicians to be utilised for this is yet to be decided. But, the BJP hopes to start the magic shows soon and budget allocation for these activities is also being worked out, Agrawal said.

"With this art, we are going to tell people about what the BJP government has done for people, especially the weaker sections of society in Madhya Pradesh in the last 15 years," he added.

A campaign by magicians will reportedly begin next week and cover 151 rural constituencies, with magic shows lasting between 25-30 minutes.

Even during the Gujarat Assembly elections last year (2017), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had deployed an army of magicians to woo the voters. The group of professional magicians not only entertained the masses with their tricks but also spread the message of the BJP's development agenda. BJP overcame anti-incumbency in Gujarat and state assembly elections with a clear majority.