Indian politics2: Delhi poll results not a referendum on PM Narendra Modi govt’s performance: BJP

-Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

________________

As the date of Delhi assembly poll is nearing, political temperature in the capital city is also getting hotter with the major parties the Congress, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacking each other to woo the voters in Delhi state.  BJP, now ruling India, has big stakes in the poll as if the party is defeated it would possibly impact its position negatively in the country

With most of the opinion polls giving an edge to AAP in Delhi elections, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who had been President of the BJP twice, said the electoral mandate in the national capital cannot be seen as a referendum on the performance of Narendra Modi government at the Centre. "It is the election for the Chief Minister and not for the Prime Minister. Narendra Modi is not fighting assembly elections. It is a state election. You are going to elect a Chief Minister not a Prime Minister," Naidu told PTI in an interview.

This is basic shift in the perception and attitude of BJP party which always depended on the image and performance of PM Modi, who employs the theme of development as his poll speeches, for favorable poll outcomes.  The revision of approach speaks of the possible defeat of the Hindutva party which had won a land slide parliamentary poll last year, followed by many state polls.

If one read between lines, clearly, BJP does not stand a chance to form government Delhi state and conversely the AAP would return to power backed by solid  votes of Delhiites.

Venkaiah Naidu, a senior BJP leader hailing from  Andhra Pradesh ( now Telengana) however, defended his party's aggressive campaign to win Delhi polls, saying the mood of the country now was to strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister, who is trying to bring a transformation and Delhi being the capital, naturally acquires importance.  Dismissing that Delhi polls were Modi versus AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, he said there is no comparison between Modi and Kejriwal. Modi is the Prime Minister of India, who has been elected by people and then backed by nearly 400 MPs.

On the decision to name former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as the party Chief Ministerial nominee, he said it was a "considered decision taken unanimously" by the party leaders and rejected views that her nomination was a mistake. Naidu also alleged that both AAP and Congress had earlier "ruled and ruined" Delhi together and will join hands again. Terming as "absurd" Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's remarks that there could be BJP's hand behind AAP funding allegations, he said, "Congress and AAP have very good connections”.

Opinion polls show that Kejriwal is favorite as Delhi chief minister. In its effort to keep BJP and Congress out of power in Delhi, Left parties on Wednesday announced their support to AAP and asked their supporters to vote in favour Arvind Kejriwal-led party on those seats from where the joint front of the Left parties has not put up candidates in Assembly polls. Already Indian Peace party in Delhi has merged with AAP.

Delhiites are eagerly waiting for the poll day on February 07, Saturday