The BJP has been struggling to execute Seva Hi Sangathan programme — a pan-India event to mark the seventh anniversary of Narendra Modi’s ascent to the prime ministerial chair — in Bengal because, according to sources in the party’s state unit, large sections of workers have called it “a bluff”.

Several BJP sources said on condition of anonymity that those workers had been angry that the party did not stand by them either during the post-results violence or in the aftermath of Cyclone Yaas. Besides, according to them, the party has been of “no help at all” in the first or the second wave of Covid-19.

“Amid the complete absence of any real cooperation or support from the leadership, this Seva Hi Sangathan programme is just a photo op in which most workers are not interested,” said a state BJP functionary.

The Seva Hi Sangathan programme was inaugurated on Sunday through a virtual address by BJP national president J.P. Nadda. As part of the programme, state BJP leaders, MPs, MLAs and elected representatives at local bodies have been instructed to select two booths in their areas and carry out relief works.

They were also asked to take pictures of the exercise and share the same without fail on social media.

“Workers at the ground level, mostly in south Bengal, are firmly unwilling to participate in the program. Many of them have clearly said they are busy protecting their homes and families right now, and don’t have the time to pose for photos,” said the state BJP functionary.

“The party has failed to provide security to its own workers, and is now busy trying to promote a superficial PR exercise that matters little to the masses… it has no meaning in a state that thoroughly rejected the BJP just weeks ago,” he added.

While some elected representatives and office bearers of the BJP were seen carrying out relief works at a few places on Sunday, the likes of mandal committee presidents and booth-level workers were mostly absent. Many of those grassroots workers were absent from the preparatory meetings held for the programme.

A booth president of the BJP’s South Calcutta organisational district said: “For whom should we do so much work, even now?”

“We took every risk, going all out against the Trinamul Congress during the polls — which we were supposedly guaranteed to win — for our candidates. Then, we got trounced in the election. Now, while we struggle to withstand attacks from Trinamul, our candidates or our leaders won’t even talk to us and will not even take our calls,” he added.

He pointed out the organisational district’s office-bearers had called for a virtual meet with the workers and candidates of the 10 Assembly constituencies (all of which the BJP lost) under it on Saturday evening. Only one of the 10 candidates bothered to join the meeting.

“Lokenath Chatterjee, the candidate for Ballygunge, was the only one available. None of the celebrities, the stars, not even the candidates with political backgrounds cared to show up,” he said.

The Mathurapur organisational district has seven Assembly constituencies (all of which the BJP lost) under it. Four of the candidates have not been seen in public since the results. Two of the remaining three sometimes visit the constituencies.

Most booth and mandal presidents, of the many this newspaper spoke to, said the workers had been disillusioned with how the BJP allegedly turned its back on them after the historic Bengal mandate handed it a drubbing. Many said they were afraid that Trinamul workers would attack them again if they were found distributing relief material for the BJP.

“Besides, the government will distribute a lot of relief and compensation to those affected by Yaas. BJP workers do not want to rub the ruling party the wrong way even now and miss out on that,” said a mandal chief in the Diamond Harbour organisation district with seven Assembly seats (all of which the BJP lost).

“The leaders will take pictures and post them on social media. They will be applauded for just that. What will the ordinary worker get? He will only be running the risk of being identified by Trinamul, for victimisation in future. Victimisation from which the BJP will not protect him,” he added.