BJP may form India's next Government, but with Congress' support

 

There comes a time in the history of every great nation, when its citizens see a ray of hope out of despair; an opportunity to rewrite history, and to take the country to where it deserves to be.

For better or for worse, it is in Modi that a majority of Indians see the egress out of the era of political gloom and despondency institutionalized by a rarefied Congress-led UPA regime. His continual surge has brought him a fair share of critics and bounty hunters, who hold him culpable for orchestrating the unfortunate riots in Gujarat - a charge still unproven even after 10 years of inquests, accusations and political coercion. He has successfully warded off even his most formidable baiters, winning election after election, going from strength to strength.

From selling tea on the streets of Vadnagar to heading one of the fastest growing states in India, Modi's meteoric rise is viewed as a harbinger for positive change in India.

The 'Modi wave' is reverberating across the country. Much to the dismay of his opponents, it is very much present.

But it seems the BJP clearly isn't using this to its advantage. It is banking on the support of the Congress to win next month's Lok Sabha election.

Instead of riding the wave of anti-incumbency and propelling its home-grown candidates to win the election, the BJP has instead hired celebrities; and imported candidates from parties symbolic of graft, to secure its Mission 272+. Such electoral temerity does the saffron juggernaut no favours. In fact, it reeks of shambolism.

The very leaders that had denounced Modi as 'communal' are now singing paeans in his name. When leaders of 'secular' formations like the Congress, RJD and the JDU chose to defect to the BJP, it has little to do with ideology and everything to do with cashing in on an opportunity. Who's to say they won't do the same when the BJP is in dire straits? Candidates that shift base months prior to the election cannot be trusted to stick with the party. The late Vidya Charan Shukla was a prime example of such a flip-flopper.

The grassroot workers; who toil all year round and play an elemental role in a party's electoral performance, do not possess the same zest and motivation in ensuring the victory of rookie film star politicians and tainted ex-opponents, whom they perceive as encroachers of their political territory, foisted upon them by the party.

To the Indian voters, who have vowed to deracinate any remnants of the UPA regime, it is highly disheartening to see ex-Congressmen stand for elections wearing saffron. It is almost like voting for the wolf in sheep's clothing.

While the BJP may like to view its newfound allure as a wider acceptance of Modi's leadership, the influx of outsiders has also exposed the latent cracks within its leadership.

In a painful kerfuffle over the Barmer seat, ex-Finance and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, who was one of the pillars of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Government, has been snubbed by the BJP for former Congress leader Colonel Sonaram Chaudhary. Singh, with his pride intact, will now contest as an Independent candidate, which may well cost the party the Barmer seat.

Not all has gone wrong. Wisdom prevailed over the BJP leadership when they decided to oust religious extremist Pramod Muthalik, within five hours of his joining the party.

This is why the BJP must ride the Modi wave, and hand out tickets to candidates who would have otherwise had little chance to win an election. It has attacked the Congress for presiding over a dark decade of corruption and misgovernance. If the defections and chicanery continue, the BJP may soon have a mini-Congress clique within its ranks.

In over a month and a half, the Indian electorate will have spoken. And we may well have a BJP-led Government with the support of the Congress.      

Kejriwal's open threat to press freedom may be his undoing

A few weeks back the internet was flooded with articles about how the pulping of Wendy Doniger's book The Hindus was a threat to freedom of expression in India.

Most of these pieces, written by writers who claimed to be of a 'secular' disposition squarely blamed this ‘atmosphere of fear’ on the religious right, whose emergence they forewarned would stifle free speech. 

In one way or another, they presaged that a right leaning government would curb dissent to the fullest extent possible.

What is interesting to note is that these very same ‘secularists' have been sympathetic to Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party since its inception. That the rise of Kejriwal and the AAP is the handiwork of the mainstream media is perhaps, a foregone conclusion.

Now, almost like an auctioneer, the former Chief Minister of Delhi claims that the media - that facilitated his rise - is in fact "sold". 

If this wasn't enough, in a comment reminiscent of the Emergency-era, he opines that "heavy amounts have been paid" to TV channels "to promote Modi".

So are we to assume that Kejriwal, who was recently exposed in a video fixing an interview broadcast with Aaj Tak's Punya Prasun Bajpai, has paid 'heavy amounts' to the channel to promote him. 

More appalling yet, was his statement that if the AAP ever comes to power, "media-wallahs" could actually be put behind bars. Isn't this what stifling of freedom of expression is? No government in India, save for Indira Gandhi's tyrannous regime, has threatened to put journalists behind bars for doing their job.

When asked whether he had made these comments, Kejriwal simply couldn't admit he had done a 'Romney'.

To understand this issue better, there are a few questions that we need to answer.

Is Indian media biased - Sure. The very fact that he is surrounded by a coterie of former journalists who are 'senior' leaders in his party - Manish Sisodia and Shazia Ilmi (formerly Zee News), Ashutosh (formerly IBN 7) and Ashish Khaitan (ex-Tehelka) prove this point.

Is the media sold? Maybe, but we don't know for sure. 

Do media-wallahs deserve to be jailed for their bias? Well, Kejriwal says so. 

The real question is - Why does Kejriwal make such accusations only against the Gujarat Chief Minister, and not members the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre?

Well, why does Kejriwal only make accusations and more accusations? Only he knows. What we do know is that he has mastered the art of 'hit and run' politics. No to क्रन्तिकारी!

It was only a matter of time before Kejriwal took his sophomoric jibes to the next level. 

Of recent, he has tried hard to throw dirt at the BJP and its Prime-Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Taking repeated potshots at the Gujarat Chief Minister using unfounded statistics is part of his feeble attempt to remain relevant.

Although it is hard for him to acknowledge, Kejriwal too, has been swept by the Modi wave.

It is perhaps the first time in India's history that an opposition party hopeful of forming the next Government has been targeted as though it already is in power.

Modi has had to brave a fair share of allegations for over a decade. Not once has he intimidated journalists or the media who have gone against his writ with incarceration.

Just as the Congress perceives itself to be the voice of 'secularism', Kejriwal sees himself as the custodian of 'righteousness'. And this is where he proves to be ahead of his political progenitors - Kejriwal simply cannot deal with criticism or dissent.

Kejriwal promises he has a plan for India, and he may well have one; but we are yet to see it in full. But he isn't a protester anymore; he is a politician.

Whether he is able handle criticism with care, only time will tell. What he cannot afford to do is threaten free speech and a free media. His tomfoolery may be his undoing.