1. Make no mistake, verdict is against Modi
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are like galli cricket captains. When you know you are going to lose you find excuses beforehand and try to stay away from the defeat. When you get out, you express your disappointment by shrugging, feigning helplessness, showing anger. The expressions are meant to say, “What all can I do alone?”
Now the trouble is Modi expected his party to lose in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and lose badly at that. So he addressed fewer rallies there. When he spoke, he spoke about the Nehru-Gandhi family, his govt’s initiatives, the failures of the Congress, but didn’t have anything nice to say about Shivraj Singh Chouhan or Vasundhara Raje. It was as if Chouhan and Raje had done nothing of significance to be highlighted. Essentially he was saying, “How can I score all the runs always?”
Was it anti-incumbency that ended BJP’s terms in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as pundits on TV would want us to believe?
No. If it was anti-incumbency, the BJP would have been wiped out. Without much help from the central leadership, Chouhan and Raje were able to put up a fight. In both states, the Congress wasn’t able to get clear majority. If anything, the vote was anger against the Modi govt’s policies than the state govt’s.
2. Rahul vs Modi is not a walkover
Rahul Gandhi should not shy away from a duel with Modi. Especially in states where the Congress and BJP are in direct fights. What is the point in saying 'I have several batsmen like Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia', and score no runs yourself. People will be tempted to ask if you are a non-playing captain, then why do we need you at all?
3. Play to your strength
Modi knows this better than anyone else. He is a very good orator, but not the Vajpayee kind. He is more the angry man who taunts and mocks his rivals. Rahul shouldn’t try to be what Modi is. The country has space for only one Modi, not two. In any case, a clone is unlikely to be better than the original. Rahul can play the sheet anchor role. But then who does all the slogging that is needed. Let leaders like Navjot Sidhu do that. The Left may lend a helping hand, by unleashing Kanhaiya Kumar in the rural belt. Stay away from Kanhaiya by all means, but if he can swing a few votes, why not?
4. Hindutva Lite is working
Soft Hindutva is working, let there be no doubts about it. A Hindu voter in today’s India, especially the middle class one, is not going to the polling booth thinking, “I will not vote for Rahul because he is making an exhibition of his religious beliefs. How the hell he can do that in a secular nation? It is against the spirit of the Constitution, I will vote to uphold the Constitution.” Soft Hindutva is not going to win over Modi bhakts, but it definitely works with the fence-sitters. Given a choice between a Hindu with spears and an unarmed temple-hopping Hindu, the voters in the cow belt chose the less violent one, didn’t they?
5. Stop listening to liberal intellectuals
Empty symbolisms mean nothing. Rahul will get ample time to do that if he comes to power. Liberal intellectuals live in a fantasy world. They can write about the transformation of the Congress into the B team of the BJP because they are not the ones fighting elections. They just have to write from the comfort of their study or debate on primetime TV from the comfort of their homes (these days OB vans go to their houses). In the unlikely event of Rahul listening to them and losing elections (which he may still do), they will tell Rahul how incompetent he is. What a morale booster that would be.
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are like galli cricket captains. When you know you are going to lose you find excuses beforehand and try to stay away from the defeat. When you get out, you express your disappointment by shrugging, feigning helplessness, showing anger. The expressions are meant to say, “What all can I do alone?”
Now the trouble is Modi expected his party to lose in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and lose badly at that. So he addressed fewer rallies there. When he spoke, he spoke about the Nehru-Gandhi family, his govt’s initiatives, the failures of the Congress, but didn’t have anything nice to say about Shivraj Singh Chouhan or Vasundhara Raje. It was as if Chouhan and Raje had done nothing of significance to be highlighted. Essentially he was saying, “How can I score all the runs always?”
Was it anti-incumbency that ended BJP’s terms in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as pundits on TV would want us to believe?
No. If it was anti-incumbency, the BJP would have been wiped out. Without much help from the central leadership, Chouhan and Raje were able to put up a fight. In both states, the Congress wasn’t able to get clear majority. If anything, the vote was anger against the Modi govt’s policies than the state govt’s.
2. Rahul vs Modi is not a walkover
Rahul Gandhi should not shy away from a duel with Modi. Especially in states where the Congress and BJP are in direct fights. What is the point in saying 'I have several batsmen like Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia', and score no runs yourself. People will be tempted to ask if you are a non-playing captain, then why do we need you at all?
3. Play to your strength
Modi knows this better than anyone else. He is a very good orator, but not the Vajpayee kind. He is more the angry man who taunts and mocks his rivals. Rahul shouldn’t try to be what Modi is. The country has space for only one Modi, not two. In any case, a clone is unlikely to be better than the original. Rahul can play the sheet anchor role. But then who does all the slogging that is needed. Let leaders like Navjot Sidhu do that. The Left may lend a helping hand, by unleashing Kanhaiya Kumar in the rural belt. Stay away from Kanhaiya by all means, but if he can swing a few votes, why not?
4. Hindutva Lite is working
Soft Hindutva is working, let there be no doubts about it. A Hindu voter in today’s India, especially the middle class one, is not going to the polling booth thinking, “I will not vote for Rahul because he is making an exhibition of his religious beliefs. How the hell he can do that in a secular nation? It is against the spirit of the Constitution, I will vote to uphold the Constitution.” Soft Hindutva is not going to win over Modi bhakts, but it definitely works with the fence-sitters. Given a choice between a Hindu with spears and an unarmed temple-hopping Hindu, the voters in the cow belt chose the less violent one, didn’t they?
5. Stop listening to liberal intellectuals
Empty symbolisms mean nothing. Rahul will get ample time to do that if he comes to power. Liberal intellectuals live in a fantasy world. They can write about the transformation of the Congress into the B team of the BJP because they are not the ones fighting elections. They just have to write from the comfort of their study or debate on primetime TV from the comfort of their homes (these days OB vans go to their houses). In the unlikely event of Rahul listening to them and losing elections (which he may still do), they will tell Rahul how incompetent he is. What a morale booster that would be.
