Rustam
JAMMU, Jan 28: The BJP, which was till the other day was somewhat on the defensive and not that confident about its poll prospects as far as the impending general election is concerned, appears more confident today. Three factors seem to have worked in its favour.
One, the RSS-BJP realized that the continuation of Nitin Gadkari as party president would not be taken kindly by the Indian electorate, which is fed up with the menace of corruption, and decided to give the top slot to non-controversial, clean, experienced and more acceptable Rajnath Singh. This would be his second term as BJP national president.
Two, two surveys conducted by ABP News-Neilson and Aaj Tak about two weeks ago showed the BJP and the BJP-led NDA far ahead of its main rival the Congress-led UPA. While the ABP News-Neilson survey showed that the BJP-led NDA would get more than 39 per cent of the total votes polled if elections are held today and suggested that 48 per cent of the Indian electorate wanted Nerendra Modi to be the next Prime Minister, Aaj Tak survey suggested that while the BJP-led NDA would get 208 seats, the Congress-led UPA would get only 158 seats. The Congress had won 207 seats on its own in 2009 general election. It is important to note that both the surveys were conducted before the emergence of Rajnath Singh as the consensus candidate for the top position in the party. Both the surveys, in addition, suggested that the BJP would gain substantially in case it projects Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.
Three, the AICC decided to charge Rahul Gandhi with the responsibility of leading the party's election campaign. There is general consensus that Rahul Gandhi would not be able to motivate the electorate, as it happened in the past. There is also a view that he has been given "a bigger role" at a time when the popularity of the Congress is very, very low and that the people of the country are so fed up with the administration that the UPA handed down that they want to show it the door. As for the media assessment, less said the better. Its assessment should not inspire the Congress leadership, which only on January 20 threw its lot with him hoping that he would be able to rescue what many term as the Congress' sinking ship.
The upbeat BJP leadership has started preparing itself in right earnest for the next general election, which can take place anytime after the budget session of Parliament is over. (It is widely believed that the next general election would be held in 2013, instead of April-May 2014, and the belief appears well-founded.) The over two-hour-long meeting between BJP national President Rajnath Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who scored impressive victory for the third time in a row in Gujarat, which was held yesterday at the official residence of the party president in New Delhi, needs to be viewed in this context. Both Singh and Modi told the waiting media persons that they talked about 2014 elections. Both were beaming and both looked very confident and assertive. It was just a beginning and it is expected that more such meetings would take place in the days to come between top ranking BJP leaders to give a concrete shape to the election strategy. Modi is also expected to play a "bigger role". In fact, Singh told NDTV that "he will consult the party's central leaders for a possible bigger role for Mr Modi in the run-up to the 2014 general elections". The message appears loud and clear. |
