Gujarat Cong believes it has brought Modi down to earth

Gujarat Cong believes it has brought Modi down to earth

Narendra Modi may be taking the high road toelectioneering with his 3D technology efforts and targeting of the Congress high command, but the Congress is happy to take the low road to what it believes are the real issues facing the state.

Thus far, Modi has been targeting Sonia, Rahul andManmohan Singh, while state Congress leaders have been targeting Modi for his local failures. Over the last few days, Modi responded to their charges after a long time, and Congress leaders are elated.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Image courtesy PIB

“So far Modi’s mindset was such that he never responded to state Congress leaders’ charges. He would never come below our top leadership of Sonia Gandhi,Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh – at times even comparing himself with US President Barack Obama. He had been riding high in the sky, but now he seems to have been gripped by a belated realisation that he may crashland on the ground. He responded to our charges on education, Gauchar (pasture land) and Narmada waters during his 3D show,” said Congress spokesman Manish Joshi.

Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modwadia is equally happy. “Ab Modi Ko Pata Chala Hai Ki Wo Ghere Me Hai (now Modi has realised that he has been cornered).” On 18 November, when Modi was projected using 3D technology in several Gujarat cities, the chief minister gave a point-by-point rebuttal to the issues raised by the state Congress. He also made comparisons with the Congress party’s record in the state in 1980-85, as also the records of Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan,  Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

The sense of elation gets a bit diluted when Congress leaders are reminded that Modi used their own name-calling—references were made to monkey and mouse—to turn the tables against them. Modi said: “A Congress leader called me a monkey. I accept his certificate and want to remind him of the Ramayana where monkeys led by Hanuman destroyed Ravana’s Lanka. If that is the case, yes I am Hanuman and a monkey. Another Congress leader called me a mouse. I am proud to be a mouse for he is the carrier of Ganpati and it will be my privilege to have Ganpati riding on my back.”

By playing injured victim, Modi managed to get his own back.

Talking to Firstpost, Modhwadia appeared a bit on the defensive on the issue and said he had not called Modi a monkey. “I never called him a monkey. Par unhone hi is baat ki pagdi pahan li hai (he himself has capitalised on it). Since he keeps on talking of the prime minister, I had said the PM and CM can’t be compared and then narrated a story. I had also added that the CM can’t be compared with a monkey. We all know that a monkey is respected is our culture because they made up Lord Rama’s army. Even Hanuman was a monkey. I don’t know why Modi can’t get over this monkey thing.”

The Congress has also found a counter to Modi’s attack that the Congress lacks a clear leader in Gujarat – with BJP ads mocking the Congress on this issue. The Congress has found the leadership issue difficult to answer and has thus has opted for a counter-question: Who is the leader after Modi? Who is No 2 or No 3 there? It’s only Modi and Modi. Modhwadia says about the Congress: “There is no leadership conflict today. Unlike the BJP, where it’s a one-man Modi show, ours is a team. We never fight with a projected chief ministerial name but on our programmes.”

There is a feeling that the Congress has for now closed ranks but the peace could end once tickets are distributed and each leader starts counting how many of his loyalists were accommodated in the seat distribution. Shankarsinh Vaghela, a former Chief Minister who fell out with the BJP, and who is popularly called Bapu, has made his intention of contesting the Gujarat assembly elections this time. In some ways, this could upset intra-party power equations.

A Gujarat Congress leader confirmed that the party could field some of its MPs in the assembly elections. The question is whether the MPs will see this as a demotion – unless they expect the Congress to win and could hope to be made state ministers. “Whatever the individual MP concerned may feel, the fact remains that there is strong demand from some local units that their MPs could be the best bets for MLA seats. We need to win the maximum number of seats. But it’s up to the party high command to take a call since it concerns MPs,” said one party insider.

In the meanwhile, ahead of the ticket distribution, aspirants have made the atmosphere at the Congress headquarters, Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, festive. They are keeping their fingers crossed on how long the festivity will last.