As expected, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at National College grounds in Bangalore on the evening of 28th April was not only well timed but also remarkably well attended. And he continued his broadside attack on the Gandhis and the Congress party in his usual inimitable style.
It was in stark contrast to his speech at Haridwar two days ago wherein he had said ‘ his philosophy was “Sarve bhavantu sukhina, sarve santu niramaya (let all be happy and healthy)”, and not just “Hindu bhavantu sukhina…. (let only Hindus be happy)”. That was a clarion call amidst spiritual giants like Murari bapu and many others to convey that he is prepared to be magnanimous and large-hearted.
But in Bangalore, he was at his usual self, spitting venom against the Congress establishement and taking pot shot at the UPA government as well. More than that, it was a very smart move in the sense that he made the BJP leadership realize that he was the biggest campaign Star for them in Karnataka and if the BJP was in a position to reach to a respectable figure, it would have been possible because of his high voltage campaign and popularity among the urban voters of Karnataka.
At the same time, Modi has used this opportunity to showcase himself as the best alternative for the Prime Minister post for the 2014 Polls by touching upon those issues which attack a common man and are related to his daily chorus. Modi also knows that the five years of BJP misrule which was marked by large scale corruption and bad government would be too big a mountain for him to set aside. Yet, he would like to come to Karntaka at least once again in areas like Hubli-Dharwad where his popularity and acceptability is more than Bangalore.
A cursory look at the uttaranances of Modi gives a clear impression about his “personal agenda for 2014’ in the name of Karnataka campaign. He knows that he would always get good media coverage as long as he keeps targeting the Gandhis and the Congress government at the centre. So he said” we gave Delhi to Congress and we can’t make the mistake of giving Karnataka to them”. It was a clear hint at the series of scams and scandals by the UPA II government.
He not only made a mockery of PM’s statement on controlling inflation within 10 days but also ridiculed Congress Vice- president Rahul Gandhi and his Jaipur declaration as well. Without taking his name, Modi said:. “Congress said that they would not give tickets to criminals. Can Congress guarantee that no criminal has been given a ticket in karnataka” ?
Again, he lampooned Rahul Gandhi saying” No son disobeys his mother but in Congress, the Mother is always saying that “power is poison” while the son is campaigning in Karnataka saying “give us power”. He went to the extent of saying that”, To complete what the mother said, I would like to say “Congress power is the poison that has destroyed the nation”.
Modi also launched a scathing attack on the UPAI government by alleging that” Karnataka Congress was cursing BJP here and at the same time, he Congress government at the Centre gave two awards to Karnataka government for their excellent work in the State. Just imagine, none of these seven awards this year, went to a state with Congress government’
Modi knows his popularity with the youth and that’s why he has been speaking in a language and on those issues which bring out the stark truth. He is not only well-prepared in his facts and presentation but he knows where exactly to pause and where exactly to flare to create the maximum impact.
In contrast, the Congress President delivers her speech from a prepared text while Rahul Gandhi does not have the patience to nail the opposition with smartly prepared draft. Both Mrs Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi kept harping on just issue that the “ BJP had betrayed the mandate of the people of Karanataka in last five years: but neither of them delved in detail on that even as there were 67 points where they could have nailed the BJP down. At the end, it is here that Modi has been scoring over his rivals in every political campaign speech.
At the same time, he has been smartly unfolding his agenda for 2014 even in State election campaigns like in Bangalore Sunday evening. He has been doing in phases and in parts. It could be seen in the following:-
a) At Haridwar meeting, Modi said“My manifesto is everyone should be healthy and welfare for all. In Gujarat (where) riots happened every other day and innocents were killed, today after 12 years there is not a sign of riots.” The clear inference and significance of this statement was that there was no pint going into a re-wind mode after 10 years as the future challenges were more formidable before the nation and it would take a lot of efforts to clear the debris of 10 years of UPA rule.
b) He wanted to send a clear message to hardline Hindu leaders like Praveen Togadia and Ashok Singhal that the blessing of Sanits and Shankaracharyas was not their monopoly any more. His quote about secularism flowing from the Hindu idea of “sarve bhavantu sukhina” was a clear indication that he realised that he needs to address the minority constituency in some way before the next elections.
c) His decision to join Baba Ramdev and other saints at Haridwar conclave was also aimed at getting endorsement for his Prime Ministerial ambition in a subtle way. More so because Baba Ramdev has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Centre on a variety of issues but also because Baba has a large OBC following in the Hindi belt, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. As a senior Commentator said “This alliance should give both the Congress, which has been hounding the Baba, and Hindi belt politicians – ranging from Mulayam Singh to Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar – cause for pause and make them realise that Modi is not going to be a pushover merely by being demonized as anti-minority..”
d) Modi is also making a conscious effort though a fresh approach to open communication lines with the Muslim leadership in Uttar Pradesh. He already seems to have won the first round in that race through the Statement of Maulana Mahmood Madani, general secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, that there was a perceptible change in the Muslims’ attitude towards Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Interestingly it was the same
Madani, who remained instrumental in ousting Maulana Ghulam Vastanvi as Deoband’s rector for praising Modi last year.
e) Through his visit and speech at Social reformer Shree Narayan Guru Asharam at Sivagiri, Modi made it amply clear that even though he will not play caste politics overtly, he is willing to reach out these constituencies subtly. Sree Narayana Guru helped Ezhavas (a large OBC group) gain self-respect in the face of upper caste discrimination. Modi, who also hails from a most backward caste, is clearly making his moves adroitly.
f) Modi also caused some consternation in the BJP camp in Karnataka by “ Yes and No” approach on his campaign. The response to his Bangalore campaign Speech would only goad Karnataka BJP leaders to persuade him to come once more and salvage the reputation of the party to some extent.. As of now, there are indications that Modi would indeed address a couple of rallies in Hubli- Dharwad region. And that would be like Elixir to the sagging morale of BJP workers. However, how much difference would Modi actually make, would be known on 8th May when ballot boxes are counted. (Posted on April 28, 2013 @ 10.30pm)
(Ajay Jha is a Commentator and Independent Writer and Analyst on Politics, security and Economy of South And West Asia. His email id is: Ajay N Jha <ajayjha30@gmail.com>)
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