Regional leaders take aim at Modi

Even if BJP does become India’s biggest party, Modi will face the task of forming coalition with regional parties.

KARACHI:

Even if the Bharatiya Janata Party does become India’s biggest party after the elections, its controversial prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will face the unenviable task of forming a coalition with regional parties – the most prominent of whom have sharply criticised the man, his record and his policies in separate statements on Thursday.

Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, which is predominantly supported by lower castes and minorities, warned her supporters at a rally in Uttar Pradesh that if Modi came to power, India would “stand ruined by communal riots.” She was referring to the Gujarat riots of 2002 in which at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in a spate of violence under Modi’s watch as chief minister.



In her 30-minute speech, the BSP leader asked the Muslim electorate to play a decisive role in ensuring victory for her party and stopping BJP from coming at the Centre, the Press Trust of India reported.

She isn’t the only one. J Jayalalithaa, the leader of Tamil Nadu’s biggest party, the AIADMK, also rebuked Modi, referring to Gujarat’s development under him as a ‘myth’.

“Till today there has been a myth created that Gujarat is the most developed state. But, this is not true,” Jayalalithaa said. “The truth is that, Gujarat has always been interested only in marketing itself,” she said.

The rebuke came after Modi told the media that he enjoyed good relations with Jayalalithaa, a claim that she refused to endorse.

Mamata Banerjee, an influential politician from West Bengal, where her party the Trinamool Congress leads the polls, also had harsh words for the prime ministerial candidate.



“The projection by certain quarters that Narendra Modi will become the prime minister is like a gas balloon which will burst when the gas leaks,” Banerjee said derisively. She also criticised Modi for his communal past and the alleged threat he poses to Muslims if he comes to power.

Of course, one ought to take these pot-shots with a grain of salt; this is election time after all. Politicians will say whatever they think will get them votes. Still, building – and maintaining – coalitions are a challenge for the best of politicians in India. Modi’s divisive record, coupled with the guile of ambitious regional leaders will severely test Modi, even in the wake of a BJP victory.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2014.