Opinion

Dog And The Bone

Kejriwal’s play for the same urban turf ruffles Modi

Advertisement

Dog And The Bone
info_icon

The most telling image on counting day after the recent state elections was that of BJP’s candidate for PM, Narendra Modi, slipping out of party headquarters in New Delhi without a word to the media. He had just helped script stunning saffron victories in three of the five states that went to polls, but the name on everyone’s lips was: Arvind Kejriwal. The rookie politician and his fledgling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had stolen Modi’s thunder.

Sensing that this wasn’t his “chhappan ni chhathi (56-inch chest)” moment, Modi desisted from triumphalism. In fact, he probably left Delhi that evening with some niggling worr­ies. This round of elections was a game-changer indeed, but not quite in the manner he had hoped. For, while his chief oppon­ent Rahul Gandhi and the Congress lay vanquished, another rival loo­med in Kejriwal’s diminutive form.

Advertisement

It would be unwise to view the Kejriwal challenge through the paradigm of conventional politics. Indeed, it’s almost laughable to suggest that this former income-tax officer with an infant Delhi-­centric party could take on Modi for the post of prime minister in 2014. No, the emerging battle is not for ground space at the moment. It’s at the level of perceptions. It’s about capturing the heart and mind of middle India, which has lost faith in mainstream politics and is yearning for change.

In the run-up to this round of elections, Modi had pretty much positioned himself as an agent of change. Rahul too railed against the existing system, but few bought his vision: he was the product of an ancien regime that had lost all traction with a cynical electorate. Against that, Modi seemed an exciting alternative, offering decisive leadership and a development model promising El Dorado round the corner.

Advertisement

Then the Delhi electorate dropped its bombshell. Suddenly Modi has a competitor for that space. Clearly, Kejriwal’s talk of change had more resonance with voters in the capital than Modi’s. The implication is huge. Delhi is an urban centre, burgeoning with what is perceived as the quintessential Modi voter: aspirational, with a disposable income that feeds Modi’s development model. In other words, this is the neo-middle class that Modi is targeting. So why was the Delhi electorate drawn more to Kejriwal?

The verdict represents more than just disenchantment with the Congress. It’s a rejection of the politics practised by mainstream parties, seen as opportunistic, as compromised by votebanks, as corrupt and disconnected from ordinary people. Although both Modi and Kejriwal promised change, there were fundamental differences in their messaging. Modi, after all, is a product of established politics. What he offered was simple regime change. Kejriwal raised the bar with talk of radical change through an overhaul of the system. Modi positioned himself as a counter to a weak and corrupt Congress leadership. Kejriwal pitted himself against both national parties by trashing them as power-brokers. Modi’s model of development was India Shining rebooted. Kejriwal urged people to reclaim democracy to make it work for the aam aadmi. Modi’s outreach was limi­ted to middle-class voters. Kejriwal’s appeal cut across sections and classes, from the top, right down to the bottom among the urban poor. Most importantly, what Modi offered boiled down to more of the same, albeit better. Kejriwal held out the audacity of hope.

Till Sunday’s surprise verdict from Delhi, the AAP’s agenda of looking beyond changing one set of netas with another was considered heady but utopian, with hardly a chance of success in the rough and tumble of Indian politics. The astonishing coup pulled off by the party has electrified the public imagination and raised expectations that such a miracle can be replicated in other parts of the country. It is, of course, a tall order. The AAP neither has the presence, nor the organisation, nor the machinery to pose an all-India challenge to the BJP. But by targeting key urban centres where its message can be communicated instantly through the marvels of technology, the AAP could perhaps slow down the Modi juggernaut. Which means, like it did in Delhi, it could stop the BJP from reaching the finishing line in 2014.

Advertisement

These are early days yet, but battle lines are taking shape already. The BJP has stepped up hostilities against the AAP, betraying its nervousness about the impact of the K-factor on voters’ mood. As Kejriwal gears up for a national role for his greenhorn party, Modi will have to innovate to meet the challenge from a man who has managed to stay one step ahead in the battle for middle India.

Tags

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement