In the forthcoming lok Sabha elections, the BJP is banking on Narendra Modi’s wave while the Congress is dependent on its tried and tested strategies. The Congress leaders are well aware that they are facing the anti-incumbency factor of the last 10 years. So, they have prepared a strategy to put all the veteran leaders they rely upon, on the battle field.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-president Rahul Gandhi instructed all the senior leaders to fight the elections from their respective States. PK Bansal has been fielded from Chandigarh while Ambika Soni and Amarinder Singh were fielded from Anandpur Sahib and Amritsar respectively. This is also the first time that Ghulam Nabi Azad was told to fight from the Udhampur seat.
Reportedly, Sonia Gandhi has asked Ajit Jogi to contest from the Mahasamand constituency. She and Rahul instructed Srikant Jena to fight as well. likewise, in Tamil Nadu, where the big leaders are trying to escape the election, Mani Shankar Aiyyar who is a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, has been prepared and CP Joshi has been fielded from a new seat in Rajasthan.
NEW GENERATIONS OF KSHATRAPAS
In the States, the second generation of Kshatrapas has taken command. Interestingly, the Khastrapas have moved back themselves and pushed their prodigies forward. In Bihar, Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan has finalised the alliance of the lJP with the BJP. Paswan senior always wanted to remain with the Congress and the RJD. But Chirag did not want to participate as a junior partner of RJD chief lalu Prasad Yadav’s sons. On the other hand, in the Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aditya was instrumental in deciding tickets in Maharashtra and other States.
likewise, in Andhra Pradesh KT Rama Rao, son of TRS leader Chandrashekhar Rao and DMK chief Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin were instrumental in postponing the decision of either their merger or alliance with the Congress.
IT’S All IN THE FAMIlY
As the debate against dynastic politics heats up, the number of family members of leaders in politics is growing. At present the Gandhi family holds a record with four MPs in the family. Mulayam Singh Yadav comes second; his three family members — himself, nephew Dharmendra Yadav and daughter-in-law Dimple — are in the lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. He has also given a ticket to his nephew Akshay Yadav. Mulayam Singh himself is fighting from two places and if he wins, then he will vacate one seat for his other son, Prateek.
In Andhra Pradesh, four members of the TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao’s family along with himself — daughter Kavitha, son KT Rama Rao, and his nephew — are contesting the elections. In Karnataka and West Bengal, two members each from the Deve Gowda and ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury’s families are fighting the elections.
From the Scindia family too there can be two MPs as Yashodhara Raje is not participating this time. Since she has become a Minister in the State, only Jyotiraditya Scindia and Dushyanta Singh are in the field.
In Bihar, lalu Prasad Yadav has assigned a ticket to Rabri Devi and daughter Misa Bharti. They have been challenged by Ram Vilas Paswan. Four members are contesting these elections from the Paswan family too. They include Paswan himself along with his brother Ram Chandra Paswan and son Chirag Paswan from the lJP whereas samdhin Kumari Jyoti is the Congress candidate from Gopalganj.
INEPT ACTOR-TURNED-POlITICIANS
This time almost all the parties have fielded film heroes for a political battle. But most of them are far removed from ground-level preparations and fighting on the basis of their glamour and popularity. They weren’t even prepared during the nominations. For instance, the Congress has allotted a ticket to Hindi and Bhojpuri film actress Nagma from Meerut. When she reached the collector’s office last Friday for her nomination, she realised that she didn’t have the required affidavit on her property and criminal records.
Similarly, Mamata Banerjee has given a ticket to Biswajeet Chatterjee, the Bengali film star of the 1970s, from New Delhi. When he went to file his nomination, he discovered that he had not opened his account as per the Election Commission guidelines. Then came another problem; he was not carrying his voter I-card.
AAP’S PROBlEMS CONTINUE
After Delhi, the AAP has many expectations from Haryana. But, party sources say that even there the party is facing problems due to a four-cornered fight. Not only this, people are routinely leaving the party. The party thinks that it is in a better position on at least two seats but it is not really so.
Party leaders thought that Gurgaon would be an easy battle for Yogendra Yadav but he is facing problems there. There are three other Yadav candidates in Gurgaon. Apart from this, recently, around 250 party workers resigned in his presence. All the members of the district committee were among them.
For the AAP, Rohtak is another seat of hope where Kejriwal has given ticket to his very close aide Navin Jaihind. But, it is a fact that Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda’s son Deepender Hooda is still a heavyweight candidate there. Kejriwal has gifted his blue Wagon car to Jailhind . He is seen busy campaigning in that car. This is somewhat like the 2009 election of lucknow when lalji Tandon used to seek votes showing the kurta of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Despite this, Naveen Jaihind is not putting up a strong fight.
HYPERACTIVE lAlU
RJD chief lalu Prasad Yadav claims that all the Yadavs of Bihar are polarised in favour of lalu. But the true picture of this claim is emerging in Pataliputra seat where lalu’s daughter Misa Bharti is fighting on an RJD ticket. From this seat all the three major parties have fielded Yadav candidates. The sitting MP of the JDU, Ranjan Yadav, once close to lalu, had defeated him in the last election. likewise, another lalu confidant, Ram Kripal Yadav, has changed his stance and is now fighting on a BJP ticket. Almost on a daily basis, lalu is visiting Yadav-dominated villages. Ram Kripal Yadav is his main concern and has therefore thrown Kripal’s close aide Ranvir Yadav out of the party. He had to go to Reet lal Yadav’s home twice too. Reet lal is in Patna jail and is an accused in almost a dozen cases of murder and kidnapping. lalu went to his village to convey that he has been made the General Secretary of the party.