India: Overseas Friends of BJP meet in Delhi elicit NRI support for its “Mission 272+” (report in The Hindu)

. . . the BJP pulled out all the stops to elicit NRI support for its “Mission 272+”.

The mood was celebratory at the congregation, as NRIs and visitors, including the former Prime Minister of Fiji, Mahendra Chaudhary, and England’s Lord Rajinder Paul Loomba, listened to the BJP leadership urging it to forge resources to help “Narendra Modi become PM.”

The Aam Aadmi Party’s success story, buttressed by overseas support, in the Delhi Assembly elections is not lost on the BJP. But, it declared, it was not reaching out for funding, but for support. “We are not doing this for money, I personally think raising funds from abroad is not taboo, but we are not collecting money from PIOs,” said BJP overseas affairs convener Vijay Jolly.

Spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said the BJP accepts funds only from those who hold an Indian passport, pay through cheque and have an account in an Indian bank.

Indians living abroad are not a new constituency for the BJP, but it wants to sharpen its campaign to reach out like the AAP had done. Apart from Rs. 6 crore that came from foreign contributions, the AAP benefited from canvassing on social media, spearheaded by Indians abroad. “The BJP reaches out on the promise of investment opportunities and enterprise, unlike the AAP which is seeking change,” said sociologist Dipankar Gupta.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/after-aaps-success-bjp-fights-for-nri-mindspace/article5545242.ece?homepage=true