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CoverStory POLITICS

to analyse these debacles. The signs of decline were Rafale deal remained negative and arrogant. Modi
all visible but the party chose to ignore it. government chose to open up cases related to Rob-
While the BJP was ignoring the visible symptoms, ert Vadra and P Chidambaram in the anticipation
Rahul Gandhi was building up a narrative against that the image of the Congress would get an irrepa-
Modi. When BJP was not ready to go into the reasons rable damage. The method was adopted so wildly
of decline, Rahul Gandhi was properly articulating that raids were conducted on the premises of Vadra’s
an agenda. “Youth of the states, farmers, small busi- offices to coincide the assembly polls. It came as no
nesses have supported us. We have a commitment to surprise that a corruption was leaked to media to
them and we are going to provide the states with a allege impropriety against Priyanka and Rahul
vision and a government they can be proud of,” Rahul Gandhi while dealing with a tenant in their ancestral
Gandhi said after the poll results. farm house in Delhi.
“People of India have given a clear mandate to The Prime Minister lost control over his narra-
‘chowkidar’ we will not stand for corruption and tive on development and even did not hesitate to
issue a threat to the Gandhi family. He asserted in an
election rally in Rajasthan that Christian Michel, the
Kamal Nath is the alleged middleman in AugustaWestland VVIP
chopper deal had been extradited from Dubai and
he might start spilling beans. He also referred to
new chief minister of the National Herald case and said, “Now I see how
you escape.”
Madhya Pradesh. of Modi’s poll speeches. What was his strategy Rahul Gandhi emerges as
Of late, attack on dynasty became a major theme
the leader in Congress in
K Chandrashekar Rao, behind the attack? It is clear that Modi-Shah the recent assembly polls
wanted to Modi versus Rahul scenario in state polls.
meanwhile, has become This harmed the party immensely. It helped the 2019 BATTLE was almost non-existent. There were many factions
Congress as it had entered the polls without local
Telangana CM, storming faces. In contrast, the BJP had credible faces in states The battle for 2019 Lok Sabha polls has been on within the party. All the three big leaders includ-
since many months now. However, the final game
ing Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya
like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Despite
Scindhia were not working against each other. Rahul
has started after the results in five assemblies. The
an anti-incumbency of three terms, both Raman
back to power for the Singh and Shivraj Singh were popular leaders and poll results have drastically changed the equation. Gandhi not only forced them to become united. He
could build up a narrative around the issue of farm
had the ability to counter, at least part of, anti- in-
Only few months ago, enthusiasts like West Ben-
second consecutive term cumbency. Modi versus Rahul scenario led to the gal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana distress. His strategy worked. Shivraj Singh had his
Chief Minister K Chandra Shekhar Rao were work-
reduction of their winning capability. However, MP
welfare measures and his image of a simple person
and with bigger mandate chief minister Shivraj Singh could give a big fight ing for a Federal Front which will neither BJP nor to back him, but it did not work.
In Rajasthan, Rahul had a relative advantage in
and could win the number seats that was equal to
Congress in it. Though the idea was abandoned at
what Congress became able to grab. Experts are of the insistence of Andhra Chief Minister Candrabu having an opponent who was arrogant and non-
the opinion that had these leaders were allowed Naidu and Maratha stalwart Sharad Pawar, there performing. The issue of unemployment and poor
to carry on, they would have won few more seats. were chances of its revival after the assembly polls governance played an important role in the elec-
The debacle in Chhattisgarh would not have been in case of Congress’ failure to force a defeat on BJP. tions. Youth was asking for the 15 Lakh jobs they were
crony capitalism. We demand a Joint Parliamen- so humiliating. The results changed the scenario. The most notice- promised in 2013. The farmers were asking for the
tary Committee investigate Rafale scam. Please sign A look at the response of the ruling party to the able of it was in the responses of Akhilesh Yadav relief they have been repeatedly promised by the BJP.
this petition to bring back transparency,” says Rahul polls results reveals the arrogance. Except for the and Maywati. Both of them had refused to join the But this advantage was neutralized by the infighting
Gandhi. chief ministers who lost the battle, none of the BJP alliance Congress wanted to forge against the BJP in within the party. Two important leaders of the state,
“Mr Modi has taught me what not to do. He refused leaders congratulated the Congress. All of them are the poll bound states. Both of them also skipped the Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot were not ready to
to listen to youngsters and farmers. Arrogance is fatal congratulating their chief ministers of doing great meeting of opposition leaders in Delhi. But they fell accept each other. Supporters of Gehlot fought
for a politician”, he asserted. job in their respective states. Party president Amit in line soon after the results were out. They declared against the official candidates of the party and few
Rahul was taking on the government on demon- Shah did not bother to comment on the polls on day their support to Congress in Rajastahan and Madhya succeeded in getting elected. The infighting took its
etisation and GST and Modi’s response was negative. the results were announced. Shah has been por- Pradesh. The BSP has two seats in Madhya Pradesh tall. The party could just manage to touch the magic
He was busy with attacking the “dynasty”. He went to trayed as the master strategist with capabilities that and one Rajasthan. The Samajwadi party has one favor with its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal. Rahul has to
the extent of alleging that the family (Gandhi family) have no parallels. seat in Madhya Pradesh. manage the state in his own way.
was crying over demonetization and the people are In contrast, Rahul thanked the outgoing chief min- The acknowledgement proves the acumen of The success in Chhattisgarh has lot to do with the
celebrating. He was mocking Gandhis. Even after the isters for the job they have done in their respective Rahul Gandhi as a politician. if we closely look at the social strategy. He allowed Mandalization of the par-
report of most of the currency notes were deposited, states and assured them that his party would not go pre-poll scenario in the three states of Hindi heart- ty under the leadership of Bhupesh Baghel, a Kurmi
the government was not ready to accept the folly. for witch-hunting. He also asserted that he does not land, we can easily understand the uphill task he had leader. The Congress also roped in Tamradhwaj Sahu,
The response towards allegations of corruption in believe in such things like ‘BJP-free nation’. in hand. In Madhya Pradesh, the party organization a Teli leader to woo numerically strong community.
TEHELKA / 31 DECEMBER 2018 14 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 31 DECEMBER 2018 15 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

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