Congress and BJP rather seem to be playing the chase game, each one of them trying hard to win over the other. Both the parties are in the fields campaigning ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in 2019 and few state assembly elections due by end of this year and in 2018.
Recently, the competitors are being noticed in quite a few states, especially in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal. Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be facing the assembly polls in Dec this year. BJP a little more confident in Gujarat to have ruled the state for 17 years, is beginning to have second thoughts about its victory, though it will be a tough game for Congress to beat them.
On the other hand, Congress, even though facing anti-incumbency in Himachal Pradesh, is still hoping to nail down the seat with BJP striving hard to pull them down. Recently, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had visited the state and was to some extent bring stability to the party which was facing difference amongst its own party members. Giving his compromising formula Rahul brought the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and State party president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on the same grounds, though the formula was accepted with more of a compromise than willingness.
Trying to beat the Congress in Himachal, even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state a few days back, inaugurating quite a few project. Taking a dig at the CM, Modi was making the people feel that it is the BJP that is doing development for the state and not the Congress government who is out on bail.
It is not just in these two states that both the parties are on the hunt. Uttar Pradesh is the next where the parties are often clashing with each other. A few days back, Rahul Gandhi was denied the permission to visit his parliamentary constituency, Amethi on the grounds of the district administration not being able to provide adequate security due to the festive season. Though later he was granted the permission to visit. However, it was being speculated that Rahul was asked to postpone his visit so that BJP Party President Amit Shah could come before him, though it turned out to be the other way round.
Amit Shah will be visiting Amethi on Tuesday, three days after Rahul came. During his visit, he will be launching a number f developmental works and projects. Union Minister Smriti Irani went a day ahead of Shah’s visit to oversee the preparations done. Smriti was the contender against Rahul from Amethi, in the last Lok Sabha elections. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with Ministers Manoj Sinha and Nitin Gadkari are also expected to join Shah’s rally.
The main focus of Shah’s rally will be to make the people aware of all the developments done by BJP and potray the image that it is BJP who is working for the betterment of the people and not Congress. The second reason to be in Amethi is also to send a clear message that the party will fight to win the seat of Amethi in 2019.
Rahul during his visit on 5 Oct had accused the BJP government both at the centre and the state of misleading the people by telling them hat the development work is beng undertaken by BJP. He alleged that the BJP is re-inaugurating the projects first started by the previous UPA government. He even attacked Narendra Modi on the issue of unemployment and dared him to take the challenge of addressing the issue. He had also said that the BJP should admit that the party is unable to solve the problem of unemployment and surrender and let the Congress take over. He claimed that what BJP was not able to achieve, the Congress will get that done in six months time.
Amit Shah during his visit will be addressing a public meeting near in Gauriganj and the other ministers accompanying him will be laying the foundation stone and inaugurate an FM radio station, Sainik School, Amethi district headquarters and civil court building, skill training colleges and other railway and road projects.
A BJP leader in his statement, supported with the data said that Rahul is losing his grip in the region and this can be the best time for BJP to hit the grounds and win the position. “Rahul Gandhi’s margin was reduced from 3.70 lakh votes in 2009 to 1.07 lakh in 2014. This shows the voter base of the Congress is receding. This is the best time for the party to make a move and own this place,” he said.