Gujarat Elections : Modi and Sonia attacking each other
Chief Minister Narendra Modi won the 2002 Gujarat elections almost single-handedly with his rhetorics. But this time BJP spin doctors are trying to give him a larger than life image of a matured leader who aspires to take the state forward with his futuristic dreams.
Modi, known for his oratory, is currently playing the card of anti-terrorism along with slogans of national identity and of course his primary slogans, “I love Gujarat” and “Gujarat Jetega “.
Though Gujarat currently does not have any emotive issue for the elections as the 2002 post-Godhra riots, Modi very well knows that emotional appeals can be translated into votes.
Political analysts say Modi’s campaign style depends on the constituency which he is visiting. While being in areas where the BJP is facing dissidents, Modi trumps up the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter issue in his rhetoric style.
Sonia Gandhi, this time has taken a lead at attacking Modi , calling him a maut ka saudagar (merchant of death’), for protecting those accused of rioting and murder during the post-Godhra riots.
She directly took on him on the Sohrabudddin encounter issue during her campaign trail, while calling him jhootha and beimaan (liar and dishonest) in another instance.
She in her speech at Jasdan charged the BJP with using names of great Congress leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, but following the path of Godse.
To this, Modi retorted, ”She being a foreigner has insulted leaders of Gujarat by calling them Godse.” He also dared ‘Soniaben’ to hang him to death if he had done any wrong.
”Encounter, encounter, encounter. If she has the guts, she can hang me to death,” he thundered at a rally in South Gujarat.
Modi also justified the killing at another rally in Karchelia village of Surat.” To someone like Sohrabuddin who was wanted by police in four states and kept arms and ammunition, you tell me what should have been done to him,” he asked the crowd, who responded with, ”kill him, kill him”. He showed no qualms about admitting to the encounter in public.
Modi also accused her of double standards for ‘delaying the execution’ of Afzal Guru convicted in the Parliament attack case.
Voting will be held on 11 and 16 December. The results should be declared on 23 December when Mr Modi’s political fate will become clear.
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