PM Modi effectively plays ‘Victim Card’ in Gujarat Polls

ONI Bureau: There was a sense of pride among the BJP fans and supporters when Gujarat went to polls in 2012. People of Gujarat thronged polling booths to vote in large numbers, as they wanted to prove it before the world that they were with their own Narendra Bhai Damodardas Modi, who was tipped to be the PM candidate of India soon. 71/32% voter turnout was recorded, which was the highest since 1980. And, PM Modi returned to power with a good mandate.

Development and only development was the poll agenda then. The Opposition (Congress) tried their best to divert the attention and communalise the polls, but failed miserably. And, BJP never deviated from the development agenda. They stuck to it and won the polls. People of Gujarat gave them big thumbs up while rejected the divisive politics of the Congress.

But, 5 years a later, the ‘Man of Development’, who sold his ‘Gujarat Vikas Model’ across the world, is a worried man. On a shaky wicket, he talks only religion and caste. He plays the ‘victim card’ and getting emotional in poll rallies. He keeps attacking the Gandhi family and Congress. He is not even claiming the ‘Gujarat Vikas Model’ to seek another mandate from the people.

What went wrong, dear PM? You have people’s support. People still love you and see you as a strong leader. They liked your no-nonsense approach. What makes you to play the ‘victim card’ and react even to tweets and statements of low profile leaders, who are no way associated with Gujarat or won’t be playing any role there? Are you worried about the party’s prospects?

The ‘Pappu’ has definitely made the PM and everyone else in the BJP nervous and rattled whether he wins or loses in the end. When BJP leaders from across the country along with PM, CMs and Union Ministers rushing to Gujarat to woo the voters, it clearly shows that ‘Vikas Model’ is not working now.

It’s true that Congress is full of contradiction. They lack a leader in Gujarat, who can draw the attention of people. They had to bank on Rahul Gandhi, who himself is struggling to find his foot in Indian politics and yet to be seen as a strong leader at the national level. But, a party, which claims to have developed Gujarat into a model state and a leader, who is the face of that Development Model, now rely on other non-important, but controversial factors to sail through.

Not sure whether Vikas goes missing or not, but, yes, Vikas is ignored in Gujarat Polls 2017!