Fly on the Wall
Is the BJP getting desperate
The BJP leadership may have set a target of crossing 370 Lok Sabha seats mark for itself and 400 for the NDA. But no independent political observer was willing to accept such a tall order given the prevailing situation on the ground. Even credible pollsters and psephologists were baffled when the Prime Minister, Narwndra Modi said this on February 5 during a debate in the Lok Sabha. No doubt, the BJP had got a shot in its arm when Janata Dal (U) leader Nitish Kumar took a U-turn to re-joined the NDA causing a body blow to the INDIA alliance. Other smaller parties also made a bee-line to join the NDA. Yet it was not enough. The leadership got a jolt when the RSS reported to have shared a confidential country-wide survey it had conducted on the state of the nation. The survey, conducted last year, cautioned the BJP of stress in rural India and rising joblessness in cities forcing many to go back to the villages. No doubt, the Modi government's welfare schemes helped the poor but there was work. If sources close to the RSS are to be believed, it said the BJP may get a wafer-thin majority. It is said that it was only after this report that a multipronged strategy was formulated. An “open-door” policy was adopted and tickets were given to newcomers from other parties and a full-throated campaign against corruption was launched to expose Opposition leaders. An indication of this desperation was witnessed in Odisha where the BJP wanted to bring the ruling BJD in its fold which was already supporting the saffron party.
Double Whammy
The sulking 100 odd-BJP Mps who have been denied tickets by the party, got another rude shock. Though a few of them quit the party for greener pastures elsewhere, the majority of them were cooling their heels at home. The party high command contacted many of them saying that they have a job to do for the party and denial of ticket is not the end of their political career. They were told to work hard for the candidate who has been given the ticket from the same constituency. A detailed plan of their poll duties was shared with them. So much so that they were told to be present on the dais when the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda addressed rallies in those constituencies. The BJP's election incharge of the constituency are in touch with them on a regular basis and they are given facilities to contribute for the victory of the party candidate. Interestingly, the BJP's Trimurti (Modi, Shah & Nadda) ensures to give full respect to those denied tickets on the stage and shake hands with them to send a signal to the audience that all is well in the saffron family. Most of the ministers denied tickets have been given specific duties and are actively campaigning for the new faces. A rare feat indeed!
Seats under BJP's Scanner
The BJP leadership has targeted a few Lok Sabha seats to ensure the defeat of Opposition leaders in 2024 polls. In 2019, it had targeted Amethi in UP and Dumka in Jharkhand to ensure the defeat of Rahul Gandhi and Shibu Soren. This time, the BJP leadership has Rae Bareli (UP), Chhindwara (MP), Bengaluru Rural (Karnataka), Baramati (Maharashtra) and Asansol (West Bengal) on its radar. The BJP wants Chhindwara seat in its kitty to ensure the defeat of Kamal Nath's legacy who has friendly relations with PM Modi. This will pave the way for Nakul Nath's entry into the BJP post elections. Similarly, the BJP wants to win Rae Bareli and has not declared its candidate so far waiting for the Congress to name Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to be fielded from the constituency. In Bengaluru Rural, the BJP wants to defeat DK Suresh, brother of deputy Chief Minister D K Shivkumar. In Baramati, the BJP is willing to pump its entire might to defeat Supriya Sule, a daughter of Sharad Pawar and helping Ajit Pawar to the hilt. The BJP leadership wants to snatch Asansol to ensure the defeat of Shatrughan Sinha. There are indications that it may field S S Ahluwalia, known for winning difficult seats. If he won Darjeeling in 16th Lok Sabha, he won Bardhaman Durgapur in 2019.
Nirmala rubs on the wrong side
Union
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may have earned some brownie
points by saying that she declined to contest as she doesn’t have
the kind of money that is needed to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
However, this comment upset many party leaders who felt she had
rubbed others on the wrong side. There are many leaders in the BJP
who also do not have the kind of money to contest an election.
But it's for the party to take a call on this aspect as well.
Secondly, there are other ministers as well in the Modi government
who had expressed their reluctance to contest for various reasons.
Nirmala's comment has put them in an uncomfortable situation too
though it may have been an innocuous one.
