PM Modi’s party launches NaMo TV
Details
Rebecca Hawkes
| 02 April 2019

India’s ruling political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has launched its NaMo TV service on direct-to-home (DTH) TV platforms ahead of this month's general elections.

NaMo TV will broadcast real-time coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha election campaign on behalf of the Hindu nationalist BJP. The 24 hour channel will broadcast his election rallies and speeches live throughout the campaign.

The channel is available on DTH platforms Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, as well as cable TV network Siti Networks.

Narendra Modi has invited people to connect with him via NaMo TV.

“The day we were most looking forward to is here! At 5 PM, lakhs of Chowkidars from different parts of India will interact in the historic #MainBhiChowkidar programme. This is an interaction you must not miss. Watch it live on the NaMo App or NaMo TV,” Modi tweeted.

Political rivals, the Aam Aadmi Party, has filed a complaint to the Election Commission of India against NaMo TV, questioning the cost of the broadcast in the interests of political parity.

In its letter to the Election Commission of India, the Aam Aadmi Party said: “Supreme Court of India in its various judgments held that there has to be a level playing field for all the political parties and the commission is entrusted with the duty to maintain the same among all the political parties.

“The intention behind these judicial precedents is to have equal opportunities to all political parties irrespective of money and muscle power, so that all political parties can reach out to the voters. But defying this very cardinal principle BJP has launched 24 hrs channel NaMo TV.”

India’s national election is scheduled to be held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. The vote count will take place on 23 May and the results will be declared on the same day.