Pre-poll predictions of a wave in favour of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi may consolidate minorities against him and the saffron party.
Minorities votes have always been decisive in key four states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar Assam and West Bengal. Besides, they are crucial in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Mr Modi’s projection as the PM candidate and the Muzaffarnagar riots have already sent a strong message to this community. “Minorities would vote for a party which can check Modi from becoming the PM. Regional parties cannot stop him because they are divided and thus could play a limited role at the national level,” a former MP from the minorities community feel.
The Congress won over 20 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the last general elections despite being weak organisationally. Minorities could have voted for the Samajwadi Party or the BSP to check the NDA’s PM candidate L.K Advani. Instead, they had voted for these three parties and thereby placed the BJP to a fourth position.
Mr Advani’s projection had helped the Congress in most of the states barring Bihar in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls despite Mr Advani tried to become liberal during his visit to Pakistan and praised M.A. Jinnah.
Though the BJP is claiming that Mr Modi’s “strong image” would help it the elections this time it knows well that the party will have to depend on other regional parties outside the NDA to form a government.
Meanwhile, the Congress is expected to launch aggressive media campaign against the BJP in the coming days. This strategy was discussed at a five-day special workshop of the party which was concluded here on Thursday.
Mock television debates, group discussions and lecture sessions by experts were organised during the workshop that begun on Sunday.
Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday attended the closely-guarded programme. He is said to have underlined the need for party spokespersons to counter Opposition propaganda with facts and figures, all the while maintaining decency.
Over 60 selected partymen from various states were trained in various subjects, ranging from domestic politics, economy and international relations.