BJP goes on offensive, it’s long road ahead for Cong

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 14

With the poll season just about getting underway, initial burst of attack by the BJP provides an insight into the aggressive tactics the ruling coalition has decided to adopt against its opponents, especially Congress.

The manner in which the government attempted to turn the tables on the Congress for raising questions about the efficacy of the Wuhan Summit in the light of China’s stance in the Masood Azhar case is suggestive in itself.

On the national plane, BJP is making Congress its principal opponent, directing its attack on to the party while seeking to remind the country of decisions taken during earlier regimes of the Congress starting from Jawaharlal Nehru.

The campaigning is yet to begin but the BJP is utilising the opportunity to create an atmosphere of inability of the electorate to blunt missives of the Congress leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, who is taking recourse to social media to attack the BJP-led government. The Congress at best appears reacting to the agenda set by the BJP.

On the other hand, since the declaration of poll schedule, PM Narendra Modi preferred to wish the electors urging them to take part in the festival of democracy and complimenting millennials who would vote for the first time and sending messages to political leaders across the spectrum to encourage people to come out in numbers to vote.

Adding to this battle of perception is migration of political leaders from various parties to the BJP while the Congress’ biggest catch till date is Hardik Patel in Gujarat. In electoral season, such movements create a buzz and a momentum of its own.

While the larger opposition unity appears in tatters, the Congress arrangement in states where they have been working together with parties like the Janata Dal (Secular) or RJD and even NCP remains a slow work in progress.

The BSP’s statement that it would not align with the Congress in any state is more of a setback to the grand old party than to unity of opposition that is compounded by the lack of clarity on how to deal with the AAP in Delhi.