Despite his projections at being the prime ministerial candidate, chief minister Narendra Modi has not emerged as a vote-catcher for the BJP outside Gujarat so far. While his model of Gujarat development did not impress people in neighbouring Maharashtra, the BJP units in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka were never depending on Mr Modi for victory in electoral battles.
If Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has been maintaining distance from Mr Modi, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was not keen on calling him for election campaign. Even former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was not seen as a fan of Mr Modi like some of the BJP central leaders, pointed out Mr Modi critics.
Interestingly, the Congress-NCP’s number in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly increased last time because of Mr Modi’s campaign. He had consolidated support base of the two parties, they viewed. Mr Modi’s model has neither attracted the south, especially Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka, nor the north where the BJP is seen as a ruling party barring Uttar Pradesh. Mr Modi has been ruling Gujarat for nearly a decade but could not acquire the image of a “vikas purush”. Instead, he remained the hardliner. This could be because of his divisive slogans “Ham paanch, hamare pacchhis”, “Miyan Musharraf”. He has marginalised VHP leader Praveen Togadia, BJP leaders Keshubhai Patel, Suresh Mehta and Sanjay Joshi.
The AICC is not attaching much importance to Mr Modi’s fast although many in the party and outside feel that this is nothing but a drama undertaken to build up his image before the general election. According to some Congress officials, Mr L.K. Advani and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley have no option but to back Mr Modi since both of them won Parliament elections from Gujarat.
Among the NDA, only the JD(U) has taken a strong position. Its spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari on Sunday said: “The body language of Modi has been full of arrogance.”
The Shiv Sena has to support Mr Modi because of Gujarati votes in the coming BrihanMumbai Municipal corporation election. This is because the MNS, led by Raj Thackeray, is going to make a dent in the Shiv Sena’s support base among Maharashtrians in this election.