Sushma Swaraj first disowned her political kids from Bellary and then distanced from them. L K Advani resorted to embark on his trade mark rath for another yatra with Anna Hazare’s theme of anti-corruption. Now Naredndra Modi is doing the other part of Anna: fasting.
Methods of these BJP stalwarts are distinctly different, but the target is the one: prime minister kursi. With any one of them is allowed to hit the bull’s eye, as the rule of the game, we see the top leaders scrambling.
As such there is no vacancy at the top. Vacancy can be created if they put concerted efforts to humble UPA in the next general elections that is due for 2014. Then, why is the hurry? The hurry is not to fill the vacancy now, but to be eligible for it. Chair of the prime minister is the final destination; the fight is now for the first step: prime ministerial candidature.
They know concerted effort is required to defeat the UPA. But, each one wants a concerted effort under his or her leadership. This is how the Janatha Parivar failed to overcome the Congress post emergency. Their concerted effort brought them to the power, but the government didn’t last long. Indira Gandhi’s Congress looked inevitable. Now, the Sangh Parivar is doing the Janatha Parivar even before the power is seen in the vicinity. The Congress has a reason to smile, no matter how many scandals dogging the government at the centre.
The enthusiasm is evident in the Congress. It inducted its scion Rahul Gandhi into its central election committee. He will lead the party in the Uttar Pradesh to face the assembly polls and it will be a do or die battle for him to keep his prime ministerial aspirations alive.
The booster dose has come for him from the US. The US Congressional report has predicted that the 2014 parliamentary polls in India would be a face-off between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. It’s a double booster dose for Modi because it is an indicator that the US that had once denied him a visa for his fundamentalist image is now ready to accept him as the prime minister.
Buoyed by this, Modi Bhai is into complete make over from ‘mouth ka soudagar’ form to messiah of secularism. See how his apology-like public letter reads; It said ‘Indian history is a witness that casteism and communalism have never done any good to society. This is also my own firm conviction.’ If you feel like Modi stealing words from the Congress, it is not your fault. But don’t recall the over used adage ‘devil quoting scripture’ because scriptures are meant for quoting and anybody can quote it.
Another transformation seen in Modi is equally significant. He was known for keeping an arm's distance from the media. His don’t-care attitude towards the media had in fact earned him accolades. But, what did he do on Saturday before launching his three-day fast? He made sure that all news channels were there when he prostrated to his mother, who handed over him a copy of Tulsi Ramayana as a gesture of blessing, and made sure the Muslim participants are seen prominently at the venue of Sadhbhavan Mission.
While there is no apparent resistance for the metamorphosis from any cornrer, Modi’s new gesture is definitely a dampener for the chariot master of the BJP. The patriarch made sure his presence at the venue of fasting to call Modi Bhai “a phenomenon”. Before that, he even blogged : “ Now, American lawmakers and the state deportment are being primed for the return of BJP to power in New Delhi, with Modi at the helm as Prime Minister, following what US analysts say is a ‘precipitous’ decline in the Congress party’s fortunes due to a string of corruption scandals.”
But, his efforts are on in Gujrath to see the BJP government facing embarrassment in the issue of the Lokayukta appointment and corruption cases referred the ombudsman. This was the formula he adopted in Karnataka to get rid of Yeddyurappa. But, he has little chance of success this time around with the RSS backing Modi. He is not even encouraged for his chariot excursion.
Another contender Sushma Swaraj is busy in finding an escape route from the mess that her problem kids have created. As such there is no challenge for Modi within and he is free to take on the Congress.
So you can look for the fight between two bachelors: Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi
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