Speculation of preponing the Lok Sabha elections is refusing to die down with a section of the Congress ministers predicting that they could be held either by the end of this year or in February-March next year. A Cabinet-rank minister on Wednesday said the elections could be preponed for two reasons. One, division in the BJP on projecting Mr Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate and two, the food security bill.
“We may not implement food security programme till April-May. And if the elections are held as per schedule, it should be in the same month next year. The best time is to go to polls after passing the food security bill,” the minister, who did not wished to be quoted, said.
According to him, imposing Mr Modi’s projection as the PM candidate will not go down well in the BJP. This is because he is not emerging as the PM candidate in the natural course. If seniors in the BJP are not accepting him, the second-rung too (BJP CMs, MPs) are not keen to fight the electoral battle under Mr Modi’s leadership. Another Union minister predicted that the general election will be held in March.
He further said that the Lok Sabha elections were used to be held in March earlier as this was considered to be the right season.
But a third Union minister asked why should the elections be advanced. There is no logic for this.
But the Congress leaders, including some of its chief ministers, do not view that price rise and corruption could be election issues.
“Elections are fought on castes, religion and regional spirit,” a CWC member pointed out. A senior BJP MP predicted that the Congress will held the elections in November-December. The more it remains in power, the more it will become unpopular.
Economic situation will become grim further and the government and private sector will find it difficult to generate jobs.
While a section of the BJP MPs is unsure of how the RSS will be helpful in winning polls since the number of RSS swayamsevakas going to the shakhas is coming down, the Congress insiders fear a sharp communal divide in UP before the polls.