Bjp Bets On Cash And Reels To Win Over Maharashtras Restless Gen Z Voters

With the Opposition sensing an opportunity following the youth-led protests in Delhi and Ranchi and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) launching the School Thik Karo (Fix Rural Government Schools) campaign, the BJP-led Maharashtra government is working on a strategy to connect with Gen Z. According to officials, every minister in the coalition government has been brainstorming with officials on ways to connect with youngsters.

This week, the Devendra Fadnavis government has announced five initiatives to reach out to the youth — from a proposal to give girl students Rs 2,000 each month to getting in touch with Gen Z via movies.

“Gen Z has become our primary concern and we have no assured formula to deal with them effectively,” said a senior BJP minister who did not wish to be named.

Fadnavis has directed all departments to address the problems faced by youth on priority and has instructed ministers to accommodate the interests of Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — who constitute an estimated 25% of the population while planning new policies and schemes.

“The visible change is the greater emphasis on the social sector,” said a bureaucrat, as ministers look beyond mega infrastructure projects since the CJP’s emphasis has been on basic infrastructure related to education and health.

State minister for higher and technical education Chandrakant Patil has said the government is considering giving girl students Rs 2,000 “pocket money” to make them self-reliant. Patil said students should be encouraged to raise questions without any fear and that health facilities should be available on campuses of educational institutions. He emphasised regular dialogue between students and vice-chancellors or college professors.

State Culture Minister Ashish Shelar has said that the government would bankroll special Marathi films “complete with advanced technology, visual effects, and themes” to appeal to Gen Z. “The government will shoulder the financial burden in film-making with producers,” Shelar has said.

With the festival season coming up next month, the government has got another opportunity to connect with the youth. “We now need to bring greater coordination to the festival, increase the number of activities and programmes, scientifically collect data on them and present them to the world. Our planning and organisation must be undertaken with this objective. Until last year the govt’s role was largely to give permissions. But now that the festival has been accorded the status of Rajya Mahotsav, the government is also an organiser,” said Shelar.

Aside from these outreach initiatives, the Maharashtra government has also reworked its anti-drug campaign that has been relaunched across the state to tackle addiction among the youth. The government, officials said, is concerned that the addiction problem has made inroads in rural areas too and is determined to put an end to it. The departments concerned have been asked to make Maharashtra drug-free, with an order to set up anti-drug cells in every hospital.