by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Amit Shah takes big risk in Delhi polls battle
Fields news comers, banks on Modi charisma
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Jan. 24
The PM is likely to address a series of rallies in the Delhi Assembly polls beginning February 1 after the presentation of the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha.
If sources are to be believed, the PM will address 5-6 rallies in February depending upon the mood and response of the people. A massive mobilisation is on to launch full onslaught against the Kejriwal government in the Capital and grab power after a drought of 20 years.
The top BJP leadership decided to bank on the Prime Minister's charisma and popularity in the Assembly polls rather than projecting anyone for the post of the Chief Minister. So much so that the BJP leadership abandoned its plan to field Manoj Tiwari, Gautam Gambhir, Meenakshi Lekhi, Vijay Goel and a couple of other well known sitting MPs. The leadership felt that if the election is to be fought in the name of Modi, then why make sitting MPs to contest for the Assembly.
As if this was not enough, the party picked up several fresh faces to fight the AAP and the Congress. It fielded a completely newcomer and unknown Sunil Yadav against Arvind Kejriwal to show to the seniors that they are no more needed for the local polls.
In fact, Vijay Jolly, Aarti Mehra, Ajay Malhotra, son of former Delhi Chief Metropolitan counciller Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Harish Khurana, son of Madanlal Khurana's son, Sudhanshu Mittal were told to campaign rather than contest.
While acknowledging that the party faces an uphill battle, the leadership also feels that Modi's campaign wil, tilt the balance in favour of the BJP. The “momentum is in party’s favour”, claimed a senior functionary saying saying the agitation by the Muslim women at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA has galvanized the BJP workers and its sympathizers.
The BJP leadership is also of the view that a division on the communal lines is being tested in Delhi where the party has been out of power for past 20 years. The party's campaign command and ticket distribution command has been taken by the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah into his own hands. In fact, it is Amit Shah who held a rare road show yesterday in the Capital for the Assembly poll and devoted more than four hours campaigning.
With a bold Union Budget in the offing coupled with a series of welfare scheme launched, Modi-Shah team will be able to tilt the balance in BJP's favour.
