O J’s Corner
Victory of the mask

Masks were galore throughout Gujarat during election time. No wonder, Narendra Modi’s masks fetched for him a stunning victory in the flourishing State of Gujarat. And he has completed a hat-trick in winning for the third time. He could cast a magic spell over the people. He was a flamboyant son of the soil and could not be suppressed by any means.

His eyes are set for higher goals. He was feigning to be an epitome of humility, an act of masquerading, when he said that he was not above the party. He has unveiled a plan to bridge the rural-urban divide. Broadband facility would be brought to every village. Progress would be the catch-word. In the same breath he has said he was not sure whether he would be able to complete the projects for Gujarat. An analytical mind can decipher something from this assertion. He would not be there in Gujarat, as he was aiming to secure a national space. No one can blame him for entertaining big aspirations.

And with the sort of media glare he has accessed, adulations climax into larger-than life portrayal. We have seen how the party, the media and the managers espoused an “India Shining” after A B Vajpayee completed a five-year term as Prime Minister. It is another story that Pramod Mahajan-sponsored “India Shining” campaign had boomeranged on the party. The media thought whatever hi-tech-savvy Mahajan perceived was being fulfilled. Politics and media attention are ephemeral.

RSS ideologue Govindacharya had dubbed Vajpayee’s softline as a “mukhauta” (mask) of the BJP. But the portrayal of the mask had not helped either Vajpayee or Govindacharya any further.

True, Modi has won a huge personal victory. But it would be naïve to project a BJP splash in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh State elections in 2008. The situation in other States is entirely different from Gujarat conditions. Regional parties and personalities play a significant role in the political affairs of many States. Distribution of Modi masks and playing up emotive issues would not hold good everywhere. When Modi was driven to the wall by the media, Central politicians and dissidents, he naturally received a sympathy wave. The devastating victory ensured by Modi cannot be under-estimated, but to hope that this would be the same everywhere is wishful thinking. Media go after the wave and adulate and create idols of persona in one breath and in the next go in for a steamrollering when they fail.

I believe Congress was not that hopeful about Gujarat. It had not projected a leader in that State. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s comment that L K Advani was hastily named PM-to-be, for fear of Modi, was an admission of hopelessness.

However, the political scenario is interesting as many regional satraps have been energised to hope for the best, like Mayawati, Jayalalithaa ( even DMK has the jitters about Jayalithaa and the Marans allying together), Mulayam Singh Yadav and others. One cannot rule out Sharad Pawar either. He has already extended an olive branch to Bal Thackeray. If the minuscule Deve Gowda could become the PM. Although on account of the “historic blunder” committed by the CPM and got Jyoti Basu eliminated from the race, probabilities hoding out are many. Governments come to be, by sheer number game. It is not always that masks bring in more numbers in the Lok Sabha.