On Gujarat polls

Various aspects of the Gujarat election have been discussed in the Urdu press.

Various aspects of the Gujarat election have been discussed in the Urdu press. Kolkata and Delhi-based Akhbar-e-Mashriq (December 16) has condemned both the BJP and Congress for mud-slinging in the campaign. “Itni bhondi, bhaddi aur gandi intikhaabi muhim maazi mein kabhi nahi chalayi gayi thee” — such a farcical, filthy election campaign was never seen in the past.

Delhi’s Hindustan Express in an editorial dated December 18 says that Narendra Modi’s posture indicates that he is either paranoid about the fact that he may be defeated, or he is so confident about his victory, that he is unable to control the high that power brings — “iqtedaar ka nasha sambhale nahi sambhal raha hai.”

Jamaat-e-Islami’s mouthpiece, Daawat, on December 19 in an editorial describing the two major leaders in the BJP, Vajpayee and Advani as ek sikke ke do rukh, two sides of the same coin, asks, “why was the appeal of Vajpayee calling for support to the party that stands for promoting communal harmony, development and prosperity withheld before the first phase of the Gujarat elections?’

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Rashtriya Sahara (December 10) has “called for a check on irresponsible statements during elections.” Delhi’s Jadeed Khabar (December 18) has congratulated the Election Commission for conducting a free and fair election in an atmosphere of “fear and terror”.

Dream merchant

National Herald’s Qaumi Awaz has described the newly anointed PM candidate of the BJP a “sapnon ke saudagar” saying that “it isn’t surprising that the merchant of dreams, Advani, is also speaking the language of Narendra Modi”.

Hindustan Express on December 12 in an editorial, Advani ka khwaab-e-gurezaan (Advani dreams of that which is elusive) says, “Advani is being pushed once again as they have no option, it is a compulsion of the BJP, as we have seen how he has been humiliated in the past.” Many papers have linked his anointment with the Gujarat elections and the BJP’s apparent need to put Modi in his place.

Lucknow-based Qaumi Khabrein (December 12) says that if Modi succeeds in Gujarat, he will “project it as his personal triumph, and might claim the PM’s post if the opportunity arises. RSS has done this to try and clip Modi’s wings.” Delhi, Lucknow, Dehradun and Mumbai-based Sahafat on December 13 writes, “the BJP’s strategy of putting up Advani will further damage the toota-phoota NDA.

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Advani’s aggressive political style will result in reduction of the number of BJP allies.” Hyderabad’s Rahnuma-e-Deccan says, “this is the party’s internal matter, but many allies might lay claim to the leader’s post in case of an NDA victory.”

Modi’s burqa

On December 8, in a page one ‘exclusive’, Hindustan Express claims that the Gujarat Congress has alleged that a leading Surat textile trader has been commissioned to prepare 2 lakh white round caps and 50,000 black burqas to be worn by BJP workers on election day, to demonstrate to the media, that Muslims are voting with great enthusiasm which may lead to a communal polarisation between the two communities — to the BJP’s advantage.

Compiled by Anees Chishti, senior journalist and editor of Alpjan Quarterly