Published On:Friday 3 August 2012
Times of India to launch a new newspaper which will favor Narendra Modi
Leading newspaper is diversifying itself from the core strength of Rahul Gandhi phenomena
India's largest selling news paper Times of India (TOI) will launch a new news paper called 'Besides Times of India', which will portray Narendra Modi as a favorite of Indians. The move will be a diversifying strategy for the leading news paper from its current focus on Rahul Gandhi and Bachchan family.
"Yes actually that what we want to do, we want to diversify. It is actually expansion rather than diversification, as aam aadmi read our news paper to know more and more hunky chunky talks on Rahul Baba, but now this new venture willl provide us an edge of covering opposition party'swould be Prime Minister with a focused eye," said Vineet Jain, MD of the Times Group, owner of TOI.
Recent survey conducted by TOI Polls division found some shocking results that people also read articles beside Gandhi, Congress and Bachchans. Few of them also read about Narendra Modi.
Jain said "Yes actually our decision is based on an extensive research and we are eager to publish the new newspaper."
He said "We are targeting 2014 elections. While fan of Rahul Gandhi will read TOI, fan of Narendra Modi will read Besides Times of India. Simple equation it is."
However, the sources said that TOI may lose the PR agency contract with Gandhi family and Congress Party to its arch-rival Hindustan Times if it launches such notorious newspaper. Vineet Jain denies such speculations.
He said "This will be a totally new venture and it would not come between our mutual relationship with Gandhi family. Besides that the higher weightage would be provided based on internal research."
Hindustan Times (HT) spokesperson avoided comments, but it said that the newspaper is continuously looking at the developments and if TOI makes such kind of mistakes then HT would use them in its favor.
BJP BJP's Gujarat mouthpiece Kamal Sandesh also slammed TOI's move and asked them to stop commercialising the era of Narendra Modi and enter into their territory.