Priyanka-fication vs Modi-fication

Now we are in the last lap of electioneering, and it is dominated by trash-talk, the expression The Wall Street Journal finds appropriate to describe the stooping to conquer speeches of our netas. Reading the writing on the wall is difficult in this phase for political pundits and political columnists alike. Having given credence to the hype in the initial days, the journo finds it difficult to roll back his/her opinion. And the politician, despite his/her ears to the ground, likes to put up a brave face and persist with outlandish claims.

Yet there are some yardsticks, which some of us have developed over the years, to find out which political camp is on shaky ground. One such yardstick is the intensity of complaints to the Nirvachan Sadan on the polling day. Election after election I have noticed that the proverbial underdog and the prospective loser are the loudest in protests even before the polling reached 20 per cent. Well, the Battle 2014 is no different.

Priyanka deserves credit for making the Congress campaign give up the tag of lost cause. The party faithful is pleased. So are the byte hungry TV journos. And carried her message beyond the confines of Ma-Bhai turf in Amethi and Rai Bareli. After May 12 a topic for animated discussion will be the Priyanka card. Also, who would be better between Rahul and Priyanka? At least all those who have been glued to the TV have no difficulty in making their choice. Undoubtedly, the NaMo digs – “Damaad Shri” and “Jija ji Tax” have brought her aggressive best, reminding you of her grandmother’s vitriolic response to the attacks on Sanjay Gandhi and his tryst with Maruti. But that is neither here nor there.

In a way, Muslim cleric, Mahmood Madani, has set the tone for the post-poll debate, when he said “She would be better than Rahul”. Priyanka had met him and other leaders of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) in the week before Rae Bareli exercised its vote. The meeting clearly signaled that Priyanka is here to stay in the reckoning. Madani echoed what many others appear to feel shy of saying in public. “Do not think I am praising Priyanka, but from what we can see it seems, by her way of talking… Rahul is a bit subdued when he talks, a little on the back foot…”, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind general secretary was quoted as saying in a media interaction. And his verdict: Priyanka Vadra is more capable than Rahul Gandhi and the Congress would have gained if it had fielded her or roped her into campaign for the party.

The garrulous Jairam Ramesh appears to nod in agreement with Madani though he asserts that Rahul, not Priyanka is leading the Congress campaign. Who led the campaign for the party is not the question before the Congressmen. For them what matters is who has been able to take the fight to the enemy camp. For them what matters is who has been able to compel the BJP egg-heads to revisit the strategy board mid-way through the campaign. On both counts, there is no disagreement that Priyanka has made the BJP sit up and rejig its trash-talk.

This reality is reflected in Jairam Ramesh-speak: “Win or lose there will be generational change in the Congress after the polls”. He may like to insist that his reference is to Rahul and not to his sister. That is his privilege. It is his politician right to trash the media as harbinger of hype. “Rahul Gandhi is the vice president of the party... he's going from state to state. Priyanka Gandhi is campaigning in two states. Would you like to see her as a future leader? That's her choice. She is charismatic. We have a vice president under whom we are running this election”, he told a TV channel.

We know politicians are economical on truth and even half truth; they let us read between the lines nevertheless to draw our conclusions. Jairam is not a politician by birth. But he is not a recent convert to the political creed either.

Political pundits are more or less unanimous that the BJP is now truly different. This difference is different from the party’s tag line – “A Party with a Difference”. Some of us have been holding the view right from the days of Advani’s Rath Yatra that the BJP has been nationalised. Some others have put it slightly differently when they said BJP has become a Congress clone. And during the UPA-II days, the BJP had earned the sobriquet of Cong–B team. Of late, a striking feature of the BJP is public display of its growing internal ‘differences’—and the unstoppable trend of raising BJP ‘dynasties’. That is not being very ‘different’ from other parties. When not accommodating family members of leaders, the BJP, like its main rivals, had turned to some poaching of candidates from other parties.

Aya Rams-Gaya Rams is a pre-election feature in our country since winnability is the only criteria that matters when stakes are as high as in 2014. But is it necessary for a party that has taken for granted its ascent to power to embrace the Aya Rams who have been very vocal in criticising the BJP and its 2014 mascot, NaMo. BJP’s ally, TDP also has much to answer on this count.

Most foreign think tank from the land of big apple to the land of kangaroo have given a certificate of fitness to NaMo. And have been bullish on India under his leadership. BNP Paribas from France, the land with a difference, differs with them. Its “Eyes on the Tiger” report reminds you that the opinion polls had let you down in the last two elections. It slips in several caveats on “Modi-fication”, and adds that the headwinds the UPA faced are here to stay for a while. Does this mean no cakewalk awaits NaMo? We will know soon.