Who Toes Whose Line Anyway?

• Consolidation of the Muslim vote countrywide.
  
  
• Reaffirmation of its winning streak with a 16th state in its kitty.
  
  
• A rejection of aggressive Hindutva and endorsement of the Congress-style secular politics and/or its soft Hindutva line.
  
  
• Enhanced acceptability among potential allies.

A victory in Gujarat may have an organisational impact as well. Congress president Sonia Gandhi gets a boost and proves she can pull both majority and minority votes. On the other hand, some in the Congress—who say the party is likely to get 10 per cent fewer seats than the BJP—are already in search of a silver lining in the event of defeat. A Modi victory could well conjure up scary images, of a resurgent BJP consolidating Hindu votes countrywide and pushing the Congress to the margins.