The writer is a consulting editor with The Statesman and writes for several newspapers in India
Vishwas is bringing new aggression to a parliamentary seat that was never seriously contested by any of the opposition parties, in what was seen as a tacit understanding to allow this space to the Nehru-Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh (UP). This is being challenged seriously for the first time, leading the spotlights to hover around the scrawny figure of Vishwas as he uses his command on words to attack the Congress and project his party and himself as the member of the Indian parliament from the Amethi constituency of UP in the offing.
All said and done, Vishwas does not inspire confidence amongst even the AAP supporters outside Amethi. There are several videos of him denouncing Muslims and their festivals, speaking out against women and praising the controversial BJP leader Narendra Modi while the latter sat in the crowd and basked in the adulation. Quizzed by a news channel, he insisted that the comments were made by him long before the AAP came into existence in his role as a ‘stand-up comedian’ at a kavi sammelan (the Hindi equivalent of a mushaira or poetry recitation). He appeared defiant and apologised in sarcastic tones when compelled to do so by the anchor.
There is little in Vishwas to endear him to the thinking electorate and hence, it remains to be seen whether he can cut through the Congress barricades in Amethi and actually win over voters. Currently, he seems to be doing well in that he has a party going in the constituency, which has opened offices and is already in the midst of a volatile campaign. But whether this will work in his favour or not remains to be seen. The rural electorate is wise and does not take kindly to personalised and bordering-on-the-vulgar campaigns.
Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, is seen by all as a charming, nice man but clearly unable to cross the line to becoming a man of decisions and actions. There is a certain disillusionment with the Congress party all across the country and this could affect his prospects as well, given a tough and credible opposition in his home constituency. And this disillusionment has a proportional impact on the Congress party’s own disillusionment with its Prince.
Amethi has become a pampered constituency but despite this, the development has been uneven. Constituents continue to live in pockets of abject poverty. There is dissension within the Congress ranks here, as everywhere really, with local leaders unable to function together as a united, cohesive team.
The Nehru-Gandhi family has also become extra-possessive about this terrain, looking at Amethi and Rae Bareli as its own preserve. The party leaders from UP and even the centre are kept out of these two parliamentary constituencies with only family and very close friends looking after the management. Not a single leader is asked to campaign and the Congress as a party is kept out altogether.
As one said, this will be an interesting campaign. The AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal defeated former Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit in her home constituency, having pitted himself against her at a time when even the voter had not detected an ‘Aam Aadmi wave’. Now it remains to be seen who the AAP will field against Narendra Modi from Gujarat, where it is already making more waves than the Congress party, which seems to be set for decimation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (12)
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@Parvez: BJP per se can definitely not get 272 seats in Lok Sabha because it is competitive only in 300 out of 543 seats. What even the most ardent supporter f BJP hopes is that NDA (National Democratic Alliance) which is the parties that form a pre-poll alliance with BJP win a majority. The expectation is that based on the BJP performance in the recent 4 assembly elections, parties like TDP and BJD which had allied themselves with BJP in 1999 but stayed away in 2009 will once again join NDA.
@Shridhar: "@ All BJP supporters, During Delhi Assembly elections also no one believed that AAP will get 28 seats…"** AAP only got Muslim votes which would have normally gone to Congress. It did not affect BJP's score So, in a way, AAP made sure Congress wouldn't even have a prayer to come to power. With its recent shenanigans (Kejriwal's confrontation with Home Ministry, midnight raid on an apartment complex housing Africans, etc., etc.), AAP has discredited itself, exposing what most people knew all along that it is led by extremely immature people. Already it has even been tangentially rebuked by the President in his Republic Day speech for its anarchist behaviour instead of governing. Supreme Court has intervened and asked the Centre to explain why was Kejriwal's dharna permitted. AAP is on its way to disintegration, even without Congress' help, all on its own.
@Shridhar - No one thought that AAP would mess up in a short time in power.. So the AAP bubble has burst, which leaves only the BJP (since Congress is finished)... whether you like it or not.
@Bharat and @ Komal S : Thanks for the respone. If anything what it looks like is : ' will the BJP get the numbers to form a government by themselves ? '....... at this stage it looks all up in the air........interesting.
@ author: The elections are a few months away and lets see in whose favour the tide turns, As for the BJP supporters, all I want to tell you is please refrain from getting overjoyed and overconfident.
@ All BJP supporters,
During Delhi Assembly elections also no one believed that AAP will get 28 seats..., so don't underestimate & speak for all the voters...wait till the Election results... nothing is sure at the moment...
@Parvez: Congress knows it has no chance to win the next election. Congress would be happy with a fractured mandate at the center and hence likes the prospect of AAP eroding into BJP support.
@Bharat: AAP is no where in India other than Delhi. they may get few votes here and there. That also will slowly fade away if they do couple of mistakes from now and April. AAP is not at all a factor in LS polls.
@Bharat AAP? you got to be kidding. Delhi is not India and India is not Delhi. BJP has got headstart over all other parties. NDA will come to power with Modi as PM.
@Parvez, The Congress is down and out so far as 2014 polls are concerned. Either NDA alliance led by BJP or the Third Front alliance led by AAP will form next government. There's no understanding between the AAP and the saffron party.
Interesting but a bit complicated. Would appreciate if someone could clarify if the BJP and AAP have an internal understanding and are on the same side......against Congress ? or is Congress irrelevant now and the contest will be between AAP and BJP ?