Jaipal Reddy Uvacha on Modi: The BJP’s campaign chief and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi recently held a huge rally in Hyderabad. Do you thing Modi’s appeal with the middle-classes and youth can help improve the BJP’s presence in Andhra Pradesh? Modi’s rally was a flash in the pan. The BJP has some presence in Hyderabad, not in Telangana, leave alone the rest of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, Modi appealed to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to join hands with the BJP. Unless some party like the TDP responds to Modi’s appeal, the BJP will not have a base either in Telangana or the other regions of the state. Naidu cannot be trusted on this, he has, after, been in the National Democratic Alliance earlier. But his studied silence to Modi’s public call for friendship is getting increasingly suspicious. If Naidu does take the bait offered by Modi, he will expose himself as he had walked out of the NDA because of the 2002 Gujarat riots But he will pay the price for it as he will fall foul of not just the Muslims but the substantial Dalit Christian population, the Left parties and the progressive elements will all be ranged against him. Modi has been in electoral politics for only 12 years. He is not known for his knowledge of social issues. Apart from his communal appeal, he is relying on cheap slogans instead of solid policy positions to reach out to the people. Sometimes simple slogans attract certain sections but the strength of those sections should not be overestimated. While Modi’s “attractiveness” among the middle-classes is being overestimated, the depth of his “attractiveness” is being over-played. Modi, in my view, is a media bubble. As a student of political science, how do you assess the big political picture in the country today. We will continue to remain in the phase of coalition politics and here, the Congress will always have more acceptability than any other party. I don’t agree that the Congress will have to sit in the opposition because of the weakness of the BJP. But the Congress does need to improve upon itself. However, it has nothing to worry from Modi. In fact, the attractiveness of Congress has become sharper with Modi being projected by the BJP. For the country, there is no option other than the UPA because the option offered by the BJP is no option. The BJP’s political attractiveness is itself weak and Modi’s even weaker.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 16:14:28 +0000
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