By
Sushil Kutty
Behen
Mayawati marked her birthday, January 15, with a presser and for millions of
BSP supporters, it is ‘Waka Waka’, which translates to ‘this time’, and this
election season it’s ‘this one for Prime Minister’. Never before in Indian
electoral history have so many set their goal to become Prime Minister. There
is incumbent Narendra Modi. There is challenger Rahul Gandhi. And there is
Gathbandhan Mayawati.
Asked
at the gathbandhan presser if “Behenji’ will be Prime Minister, cyclist
Akhilesh Yadav tarried for pregnant five seconds and then dodged the elephant
in the room with this nugget: “Uttar Pradesh has given many prime ministers to
India.” That places ‘Akhi’ also a contender. But then he’ll be going round in
circles in the velodrome if Uncle Shivpal Yadav puts a spoke in his wheels,
which the uncle is inclined to.
Mayawati
and Akhilesh will keep the billion rupee question hanging till after results
are declared just so that captive vote-banks don’t split away to deprive the
other caste Prime Minister. Such are the pitfalls of caste-gathbandhans. That
said, it’s ‘Waka Waka’ for Prime Minister and you can throw Mamata Banerjee and
Nitin Gadkari in the lottery. For the opposition it is ‘Waka Noka’ for Narendra
Modi. To the BJP it’s ‘Waka Noka’ Rahul Gandhi.
Mayawati
held a birthday presser Tuesday. The birthday cake was missing but she read out
what can be called “didn’t mince her words” to spell doom for Narendra Modi,
not missing in the mincing to convey to Rahul Gandhi that he’s ‘Waka Noka’
outside Amethi and Rae Bareilly. So, please don’t put the straying shoes on.
News swirling in the cold corridors of Uttar Pradesh is that Congress will
contest all 80 UP seats.
Add
another para to the narrative: Modi counts his battle is not with the
UP-gathbandhan but with Congress. Addressing BJP workers at a national
convention event in Ramlila Maidan, Modi singled out ‘Naamdar’ for special
mention. He drew battle-lines for 2019 and without naming Rahul placed the
stubble-cheeked gathbandhan-reject on the enemy’s war elephant. Mayawati
doesn’t get that left-handed endorsement. BJP workers will take the message to
Uttar Pradesh.
Modi
also made 2019 general elections sound like Good vs. Evil battle. Maybe, it had
to do with venue. And coming from the horse’s mouth, it did not escape anybody
who’s tested steed and who’s prancing stallion! Modi wants to Congress-Mukht
Bharat, not play snakes-and-ladder with Mayawati. He tried to remove the stain
of Rahul’s ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ with “family’s corruption-legacy” even as Rahul
Gandhi took ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ to Dubai.
Modi
painted the Gandhi Family ‘evil’, saying it behaves as if every institution is
at its beck and call. He contrasted the Gandhis’ refusal to heed agency summons
with his own willingness as Gujarat Chief Minister to testify to SIT the whole
nine-yard! And while placing Rahul in the crosshairs, Modi laughed away the
‘mahagathbandhan’ as a “comical sideshow” not worth his time.
It
will gall Mayawati that she does not even get wildcard entry to 2019 PM-stakes.
And Rahul Gandhi is not going to endorse the lady with the handbag for Prime
Minister. The 2019-Rahul is not 2014-Rahul. More assured, he has found his
thinking-cap! And he walks like he owns the ground, right down to the
grassroots.
Mayawati
said at gathbandhan presser that Congress votes do not transfer and therefore
no admission to gathbandhan. Now, Congress can take that to town and contest
all 80 seats. The Congress must surely have its own Dalit and Yadav to
vote-bank on. Besides, this is Lok Sabha elections and voters will vote to
elect a stable national government not a Bua-Bhatija time-pass dispensation.
That
said, the ‘gathbandhan’ is catalyst for things to fall in place. Is there
grassroots gathbandhan? People are thinking national and ‘Prime Ministerial’ is
template. Rahul Gandhi expressed desire to be PM in Karnataka months ago.
Friday last Modi chose him prime adversary with ‘dynasty’ and other nasty
innuendo. Mayawati Tuesday took to task both BJP and Congress, not mincing
words.
Missing
from the starting block is Mamata Banerjee. But she can be counted to be ‘On
Your Marks, Get Set And Go’ as soon as the Starter’s Pistol cracks. Point is to
elect Prime Minister – Waka Waka Prime Minister! With elephant and lotus and
cycle and maybe Trinamool’s Johra Ghas Phul to go with the sentiment. (IPA Service)
The post ‘Waka Waka’ For The Prime Minister appeared first on Newspack by India Press Agency.
