Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are either self-deluded or deceiving the unsuspecting public with their poll promises.
New Delhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has struck a chord by performing rituals on the Narmada River during her Madhya Pradesh Assembly election campaign. According to mythological beliefs, the Narmada River is considered more ancient and revered than the Ganges. I have written several news articles over the years about the political and legal battles surrounding the distribution of Narmada’s waters among Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi resolved this controversy after coming to power. However, for nearly a decade, the pilgrimage of the Narmada River and its religious significance has been a competitive subject among Modi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Digvijaya Singh, and Kamal Nath. Rajiv Gandhi and Amitabh Bachchan won the 1984-85 elections with the slogan “Chhora Ganga Kinare Wala”. But in recent elections, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and their team have faced heavy defeats in Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar, along the vast regions of the Ganga and Narmada. Just a few months ago, the party received no support along the banks of the Narmada in Gujarat. Therefore, to achieve success in the extensive regions of the Ganga and Narmada, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her allies have organized election campaigns with river worship, aarti ceremonies, slogans praising Lord Hanuman, and posters featuring their party symbol. The question remains: Will these chants, campaigns, soft Hinduism, and the magical hugs of Rahul Gandhi to truck drivers from India and America be able to win the upcoming elections?
I remembered during Rahul Gandhi’s journey with a truck driver; Sanjay Gandhi had bonded with Arjun Das when he entered politics, and they had a workshop for repairing cars, trucks, and others. Sanjay used to visit there frequently. Despite such grounded friendships in politics, the Congress was defeated in 1977. Rajiv Gandhi continued to work as a commercial pilot for years and used to interact well with ordinary drivers and have conversations with them. However, this did not prove beneficial for him in politics. On the other hand, during the past years in Delhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra used to stroll in Lodi Garden in the evening with two security guards, but she wouldn’t respond to greetings from any ordinary worker or person passing by. A few years ago, Rahul Gandhi used to roam around on a motorcycle late at night on the roads of Delhi with his friends and relatives. At that time, there was no camera team. Now, can public trust be gained through campaigning with trucks, buses, motorcycles, or can the Congress organization be made truly active and powerful in various states? How can people forget that the condition of roads was so bad during Digvijaya Singh’s rule in Madhya Pradesh, the condition of villages and farmers was worse, and despite some shortcomings, lakhs of families benefited from the welfare schemes of Narendra Modi and Shivraj’s governments? The conditions of roads and villages have changed. Yes, like the Congress, even the BJP faces challenges in upcoming elections due to factionalism and corruption at lower levels.
In states like Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, there is a direct electoral contest between the Congress and the BJP. Therefore, in the past decades, different parties have emerged victorious in the elections for the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha. This time, Congress is also eager to form alliances with various parties in different states for the Lok Sabha elections. Whether it is the Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, or Janata Dal (U), these parties are preparing to dedicate their influence to the Congress. In Karnataka, Janata Dal (S) or in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress, and in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal are gradually attempting to form alliances with the BJP. The most interesting and pitiful situation is that of the Communist parties. They are against the BJP, but they cannot form an alliance with the Congress or Trinamool Congress in Kerala or West Bengal. Congress wants to make corruption an issue against Modi in Karnataka, similar to the way DMK ministers in Tamil Nadu or leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar face serious corruption allegations, but how can they answer the public while facing legal action by investigative agencies such as the Income Tax Department, CBI, and Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the illegal earnings of crores or billions of rupees? When there is a crackdown on these agencies’ actions, how can any leader receive sympathy from the general public? Most of the officers in these departments are appointed by the states, so allegations of being associated with the ruling party at the centre also prove to be wrong.
The Narmada and Ganga rivers meet in the ocean at their final stage. However, various political parties have polluted all the rivers and the oceans with corruption. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, in particular, are either self-deluded or deceiving the unsuspecting public with their electoral promises. Like Arvind Kejriwal, they are making promises of free electricity for everyone, free bus travel for women, Rs 500 gas cylinders, and so on. The reality is that these benefits can only be availed by people below the poverty line. Similarly, when non-BJP parties’ rule in states, they claim to provide employment and assure the success of industries and businesses through investments from Ambani, Adani, Birla, and Tatas. So how can they accuse the BJP of being supported by capitalists?
The writer is editorial director of ITV Network—India News and Dainik Aaj Samaj.