Reference Auto

Narendra Modi’s sweeping victory in the Gujarat elections and the vehement protests in Delhi over the heinous gangrape of a girl have come to haunt the Congress government again, and after this, the BJP could emerge as a new powerhouse.

Modi, with his hat-trick win, is aiming to conquer Delhi (eyeing the Prime Minister’s post) but his Saffron leanings and alleged atrocities against Muslims in Gujarat in the wake of the Godhra train burning are unlikely to see him as an acceptable prime ministerial candidate.

Moreover, opposition from allies (Bihar CM Nitish Kumar) could also make the road to the PM’s chair a bumpy one for Modi.

But with Jayalalithaa and the BJP bonhomie growing (Jaya had attended Modi’s oath-taking ceremony), a powerful BJP could be emerging in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. Also, with no love lost between Mamata Banerjee and the UPA government at the Centre, the BJP could be sniffing a second innings with Mamata.

Now, the worrying point for the BJP could be the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Bahujan Samaj Party of Mayawati and the Left parties as they have projected a secular (read an anti-Hindu) image.

With Mulayam’s son Akhilesh at the helm in UP, he could dampen the BJP’s prospects and so could Mayawati (though to a lesser extent).

But the Left, which is in power only in Tripura, could hardly make any difference while deciding the power equations.

And, the municipal polls in Bengal will decide whether Mamata’s vote base has eroded or not. If not, she can turn out to be kingmaker in the general elections.

The UP and the recent Gujarat debacles (in the elections) have proved that Sonia Gandhi’s aura has diminished and Congress youth icon Rahul Gandhi is no icon for the people.

In the forthcoming elections, if the UPA government is elected to power (despite its image being tarnished for a slew of corruption cases and Delhi gangrape, among others), it would be nothing short of a miracle.

And, if the BJP manages to wrest power from the UPA II government at the Centre, we could see some hope. Even if the Congress manages to stay on (which is unlikely), there could be FDI and in turn development.

But if an assortment of parties come to power in the garb of a Third Front, then the country would surely be in an ‘assorted’ mess.

Also, the recent rape case has outraged the public like never before. So much so that the Congress has shifted the rape victim to Singapore to avoid any public anger in case the girl died in India and the body was in the midst of the public.

But by sending the victim to Singapore, people may think that the Congress is involved in nefarious deeds and has sent the victim only to avoid public outcry. This may force even a bigger backlash by the public.

So, if the BJP plays its cards right, we could see the Saffron brigade and allies prevail in the forthcoming general elections even though by a wafer-thin majority.