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CoverStory

Brand Modi overshadows BJP

Amid backtracking of Priyanka to take on Modi in Varanasi, PM’s mammoth road show just on the
eve of filing nomination underlines that his magic still holds the fields, writes mudit mathur

ow the center of the main moth road show just on the eve of fil- NCP, Anant Geete, Shiv Sena, Mehboo-
battlefield has turned to ing nomination underlined the ground ba Mufti of PDP, Samajwadi patriarch
Hindi heartland where reality that his magic still holds Mulayam Singh Yadav, firebrand leader
main players of Indian the fields. During his campaign Mohd. Azam Khan and her bête no-
N polity are busy to test their among masses and address to rie film actress Jayaprada and several
electoral fortunes. Braving midsum- eminent persons and work- Union ministers including Gen. V. K.
mer heat waves, the race for Race ers, Modi exhibits his unique abil- Singh, Dr. Mahesh Sharma have been
Course has reached at a decisive turn ity to connect himself with the ancient sealed in EVMs.
where the voters of these states are culture and religious symbolism of
going to decide the destiny of the coun- Kashi, known as adobe of Lord Shiva in Kerala
try and the way political recourse rule Hindu mythology. The Congress explored the possibili-
this country for the next five years. The election process has been com- ties to improve its tally in Kerala, where
Whether one likes it or not, but elec- pleted in most of the states including party leadership believes to rejuvenate
tioneering in the country has witnessed Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, its cadre in southern states following
the pan-India presence of “Brand Modi” Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, a decision of Rahul Gandhi to contest
just like a personalized cult overshad- Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Megha- from Wayanad, besides his family bas-
owing the existence of BJP with a slo- laya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tamil tion Amethi. While the fight is between
gan “Fir Ek Baar Modi Sarkaar” (Once Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, the traditional rivals UDF and LDF, the
again Modi government). Andaman and Nicobar Islands,Dadra BJP has also aggressively campaigned
Unlike Congress Chief Rahul Gan- and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lak- in the hope of opening its account in
dhi, PM Narendra Modi reposed his shadweep and Puducherry. the southern state by capitalising on the
confidence in the voters of his newly The fate of Congress Chief Rahul Sabarimala shrine issue.
nurtured constituency, Varanasi, out- Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Shashi The polarisation of votes because of
side his home state (Gujarat). Amid Tharoor, BJP president Amit Shah, Sabarimala issue is imminent in Kerala
backtracking of Priyanka Gandhi to Sambit Patra, Varun Gandhi, Sharad that could give a chance to BJP to win
take on Modi in Varanasi, PM’s mam- Yadav, LJD (RJD alliance), Supriya Sule, one or two seats in its recently emerged

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 20 www.Tehelka.com