OPINION | Vintage Modi is back: Exposes Congress on caste

A day after the spectacular Haryana victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharpened his attack on Congress saying, the results of Haryana reflect the nation's mood. He said, Congress was trying to spread its 'hateful and poisonous agenda' by dividing Hindus among caste lines for partisan ends. Modi said, "Congress never raises the issue of caste divisions within the Muslim community. Its formula is simple: keep Muslims as a vote bank by spreading fear, and divide Hindu society on caste lines to score electoral advantage...The same Congress leaders who raise caste division issue among Hindus remain mum about caste divisions among Indian Muslims". The Prime Minister's tone and tenor of speech reminds one of Vintage Modi, whose self-confidence now seems to be on a high. Modi replied to all questions that were being raised after BJP's seat tally was reduced in the Lok Sabha elections. He made it clear that neither has his popularity waned,  nor has the nation's mood changed for the Congress to stop his BJP juggernaut. Modi's speech was meant to convey to the people that the Congress was trying to divide only Hindus, and not Muslims. 

This was in reference to the vote divisions that were noticed among Hindu castes during the Lok Sabha elections. There is a Hindi proverb, 'Kaath Ki Haandi Baar Baar Nahin Chadhti' (you can deceive once, but not always). BJP got voters from all sections of society this time in Haryana and the party has regained its mojo. On the other hand, the anti-Modi bloc appears to be demoralized and already  knives are out among the allies against the 'arrogant' attitude of Congress party. The immediate consequences are being seen in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, UP and Delhi. In UP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav snubbed the Congress and unilaterally declared the names of six candidates out of 10 seats going for byelections, without consulting his ally. Akhilesh had already realized that the gains made in LS elections by Congress in UP were at the cost of the Samajwadi Party, while in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Congress refused to share a single seat with his party. The Congress was demanding five out of the 10 seats in UP assembly byelections. Akhilesh was waiting for the right moment, and he struck the day after the Haryana results were out. 

In Maharashtra, Congress, which had been asking for more seats in Maha Vikas Aghadi, has now lost its bargaining power, and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is pressing for the MVA to declare him as the chief ministerial candidate.  The allies are now telling Congress that it derives its strength from INDIA bloc, and the party has no clout in the absence of an alliance. In Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party has declared that there would be no alliance with Congress for assembly polls. Arvind Kejriwal wanted a toehold in Haryana, but the Congress leaders, feeling the 'wind' blowing in favour of the party, kept the seat-sharing issue hanging and rejected AAP's request at the last moment. A furious Kejriwal fielded his candidates in all the 90 seats in Haryana. Though his party drew a blank, it halted Congress from returning to power. 

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