Modi may be king in Varanasi, but in Delhi, Kejriwal's his equal

There can be no two opinions about the contest in the forthcoming Delhi assembly elections - more than AAP and BJP taking on each other, it’s Narendra Modi Vs Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal is the chief ministerial candidate for the AAP; for the BJP, it’s not Modi, but he had to step in because nobody in the party is a match to the middle class hero. Modi represents BJP’s strategy to cash in his prevailing magic, but he also represents the party’s absence of an alternative star. This is not the first time that the two leaders are facing off. In May, they fought the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, where Kejriwal was completely swept away by a Modi wave. It was perhaps the most unequal fight in India’s Lok Sabha elections and Modi won by a margin of 3.37 lakh votes. The result wasn’t surprising because right from the beginning it was a one-sided fight. In Varanasi, Modi was boisterous, triumphant, street smart and even overweening whereas Kejriwal appeared to be a lost man with no capacity to stand against a tidal wave. It was a one sided battle in which media, money and popular support completely favoured Modi. But when they come to Delhi face-to-face, it will be a different ball game. The roles aren’t reversed, and it’s still AAP’s home turf. Compared to Varanasi, Modi doesn’t come with any advantage and Kejriwal’s voice is not muted. The first indication that the BJP and Modi are mindful of Kejriwal’s popularity and AAP’s political constituency is the party’s strategy itself - attack Kejriwal and target his vote-bank. [caption id=“attachment_2043375” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  PTI[/caption] In his 40 minute speech on 11 January, Modi called Kejriwal names in an obvious attempt to discredit him which by itself was an effort to compare the latter’s idea of governance with his. “Have you ever seen a politician who calls himself an anarchist? If you are one, go to the jungle and join Naxalites. We cannot let Delhi be gripped by Naxalism. Delhi is the country’s Capital. Here, decent people live,” he said. What came along were promises that clearly looked like a lift from AAP’s book: cheaper power, water, slum clearance: “We will ensure that by 2022 Delhi is slum-free. We will provide 24-hour electricity. We are bringing in new technology by which the electricity bill of poor people, who use two bulbs in the house, will come down by Rs 300 in a year,” he said. Compared to his meek presence in Varanasi, Kejriwal and AAP are all gung ho. His party has already declared him the winner and the “Delhi Valentine” (who will take oath as the chief minister on Valentine’s Day). On his part, Kejriwal exudes supreme confidence and doesn’t hide his regret that he had made mistakes last time. He has asked people to forgive him and give another chance. The AAP also knows that if Delhi gives up on Congress, which anyway is a loser, it’s advantage them. The possible votes of slum dwellers, unorganised workers and Muslims give them confidence. The self-assurance of the party also stems its knowledge of the demographics and advance preparation. The party has fielded candidates for all the 70 seats and has also done some pre-poll surveys to test the trends. Since early last year, it has been virtually a free run for Modi everywhere except the southern states and Bengal. But in Delhi, he has a more than equal match in Kejriwal. He is capable of delivering counter punches in his public rallies and drawing as many people as Modi can. In front of Kejriwal, Modi has not additional advantage in the conventional and social media. AAP’s technical brigade is as smart or even smarter than the BJP’s number crunchers. It’s an even battle. Modi is not unassailable in Kejriwal land. Delhi offers a great example of how electoral spectacles change with time and location. The king in Varanasi has become an equal in Delhi. With that, perhaps Kejriwal has won half the battle.