Anita Katyal | Priyanka v Modi at the hustings; Rahul absence to damage Smriti?

The ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign is increasingly becoming a Modi Vs Priyanka battle. While former Congress president Rahul Gandhi remains Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chief target of attack, it is Priyanka Gandhi who has been responding to his charges against the Congress, her brother and her family. Whether it is Modi’s constant reference to Rahul Gandhi as shehzada or his declaration that the Congress party’s election manifesto promises to take people’s wealth, including the mangalsutra of women, and distribute it to Muslims, it is Priyanka Gandhi who has hit back in equal measure. Priyanka Gandhi’s speeches — alternating between emotive and feisty — accuse the Prime Minister of focussing on inane matters while ignoring burning issues like price rise and unemployment. She has even overshadowed Rahul Gandhi’s poll campaign as she is a far better orator than him. But for all her jibes and charges against Mr Modi, the Prime Minister is making a conscious effort to overlook Priyanka’s speeches even as he keeps the focus on “Rahul Baba” given that the BJP has invested heavily in discrediting him over the past 10 years.

 

Sam Pitroda, close friend of the Gandhi family and head of the Indian Overseas Congress, has a penchant for courting controversy. He invariably stirs up trouble both for himself and the Congress in the middle of an election. So far, the Congress had chosen to ignore Mr Pitroda’s off-the-cuff remarks but his latest patently racist comment, describing Indians from different regions as Chinese, Arabs, Whites and Africans, could not be overlooked. The matter was taken up at the highest level with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pointing out, “I am dark too…. Should I be now called an African.” He suggested that Mr Pitroda should not be allowed to get away this time as it would look like the Gandhi family is shielding him. Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi agreed and Mr Pitroda was then asked to send in his resignation as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress. The next step is to find a replacement for Mr Pitroda who is equally well-connected abroad as Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to go overseas on several trips after the end of the election campaign. Milind Deora would have been a good choice but he is now with the BJP. The search is on for a new IOC chairman.

 

That Nationalist Congress leader Sharad Pawar continues to have a large and dedicated fan following in Maharashtra is an acknowledged fact. This was demonstrated in the last election when Mr Pawar delivered a speech while standing in pouring rain. This time, the trigger was provided by Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s description of Mr Pawar as a “bhatakati aatma” during the course of his election campaign. This did not go down well with the people of Baramati who were furious with the Prime Minister for insulting Mr Pawar. Incidentally, Baramati is Mr Pawar’s long-time Lok Sabha constituency, now held by his daughter Supriya Sule who is locked in a high-stakes electoral battle with her estranged cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra. A panic-stricken Ajit Pawar went into damage control mode and quickly replaced Mr Modi’s posters with his own. He was also forced to camp in Baramati for a few days to assuage people’s anger.

 

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati’s last-minute decision to change her party’s candidate for the Jaunpur Lok Sabha constituency has an interesting backstory. According to the political grapevine in Uttar Pradesh, the move can be traced to the strained relationship between chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Union home minister Amit Shah. The BSP had originally fielded Srikala Reddy, wife of former MP Dhananjay Singh, known for his proximity to Yogi Adityanath. She was given a ticket since Mr Singh was not eligible to contest this election as he was jailed for seven years in an old case of kidnapping and extortion. Though out on bail, his sentence has not been suspended. The BJP candidate, former Maharashtra minister Kripa Shankar Singh, said to be Amit Shah’s choice for this seat, was finding it tough going in Jaunpur, having to contend with Mr Singh’s personal reputation. A discreet word was sent to Srikala that she withdraw from the contest but she was not ready to do so. The BJP leadership in Delhi is learnt to have then contacted Mayawati who lost no time in changing the candidate.

 

Two distinct assessments are emerging from the ongoing poll campaign in Amethi. Disappointed and unhappy that Rahul Gandhi chose to contest from Rae Bareli and not from his old seat, voters in Amethi feel they have little choice but to vote for BJP’s candidate Smriti Irani. On the other hand, there are voters who believe Rahul Gandhi decided not to contest from Amethi because he is hurt over his 2019 defeat and not because of his family connection with Rae Bareli. Regretful Amethi residents can be heard saying, “Rahul ko manana hai, Smriti ko harana hai.” On the other hand, Ms Irani’s campaign has lost much of its punch after Rahul Gandhi shifted to Rae Bareli. Ms Irani also has to work doubly hard to win a second consecutive term as two MLAs — former Congress legislator Aditi Singh and former Samajwadi Party Manoj Pandey — are apparently not cooperating with her.