{Arun Jailtey**}
The last twenty four hours have been extremely eventful in the run up to the 2014 General Elections. The consolidation around the BJP continues. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to support the BJP in Darjeeling and in some North Bengal constituencies. This support will add to the victory of BJP. The possibility of picking up some seats in Bengal is now real. Simultaneously, a significant part of the Asom Gana Parishad led by its former President, Chander Mohan Patwari has decided to join the BJP. It was expected that the BJP was a serious contender of several Lok Sabha seats from Assam. Important leaders of the AGP joining the BJP in Assam will further consolidate the BJP as the only anti Congress party in Assam.
Besides individuals who are consolidating the BJP after leaving other parties in several States, the next few days are going to be extremely important terms of the BJP and the NDA consolidating on the present situation in the three southern State of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. These developments will add to the strength of BJP in eastern and southern parts of India where the BJP traditionally was not a strong political force.
Simultaneously, a parallel important development has taken place both in the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress candidate from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh has decided to refuse the party nomination. He has simultaneously decided to join the BJP. Chandigarh was another important centre where the AAP claimed to have a sizeable support. Its candidate in Chandigarh has decided to return the party nomination since its cadre in a disarray and she felt there was lack of organizational support for her election. A large number of people converge around a party who they consider is a potential winner. There are less claimants of a party which is considered a possible loser. However, it is unprecedented that party nominations are declined by candidates after they are publicly announced. This only happens when candidates find that the prospects of winning are non-existent.
The media honeymoon of the Aam Aadmi Party seems to be over. Even though media extensively reports the activities of the party it is now willing to put the party to a serious scrutiny as any other political party. The excessive media coverage to the party had made the AAP as the ‘television opponent’ of the BJP even when the ‘field opponent’ continued to be the Congress. A curious video has now been loaded on to the YouTube. The video shows that the President of the AAP is in close conversation with the anchor of a leading news channel subsequent to the recording of his interview. Both are conversing the possible emphasis and the editing of the interview. They are strategizing as to which parts are to be highlighted and the ones which may cost the AAP leader the middle class support are to be played down. We have never been fortunate to be extended such a privilege by any anchor or media organization. Friendly and collusive interviews intended to cultivate a particular image is a strategy of the AAP. This clearly shows the party and its leader pretending to be what they are not. They project the image of themselves which is unreal. Between reality and projection there is a complete mismatch. When Punya meets Paap you don’t expect a conspiracy.
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** Arun Jaitley
Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha )
* Disclaimer: The writer is a freelance journalist and the views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INVC.
