Delhi elections are underway and the battle does seem to be one between the Aam Admi PArty and the BJP. Since the latter is not projecting a CM face, it has also become a sort of proxy battle between Arvind Kejriwal and Narendra Modi since it is Modi Ki Guarantee that is fast becoming a campaign slogan for the bjp. Now, is this a sound strategy on part of the BJP?
For one it elevates Kejriwal’s battle from one restricted to just Delhi to a national face off as he is trading charges directly with the Prime Minister. However the BJP knows all too well that it doesnt have a face to take on Kejriwal in Delhi (apparently Smriti Irani got mixed reviews as did the candidature of the Delhi based BJP leaders). Hence it went with the best face it has – Narendra Modi.
Also, BJP leaders cite the example of Orissa where again the BJP went without a CM face but managed to unseat a popular CM with the PM’s guarantees and on ground organisation support. Certainly the party has picked up steam in the last few weeks of the campaign. but is it enough to unseat Kejriwal is another matter.
What is working for Kejriwal is the woman vote. He has won them over with his free water, electrictricity subsidies, free bus rides for women and other schemes like the Delhi Mahila Samman Yojana. In response both the BJP and the Congress have announced similar schemes. Am not sure if this is the correct solution but not all politics makes for good economics.
Should Kejriwal win again, he can perhaps take a leaf out of J&K CM Omar Abdullah’s book and pick his battles with the Centre. Omar has been criticised for the welcome he gave PM Modi when the latter visited Kashmir to inaugurate the Z Morh Tunnel. It was a development project and a much needed one at that, so the CM (wisely) did not get into petty politics but gave credit where it was due and thanked the PM for this. These gestures go a long way because in the end, the goal is governance and development. Not posturing and one man upmanship.