From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi contemplating to advance the Lok Sabha elections to hold them in November-December, along with the Assembly elections in five states, instead of April next year, to frustrate the Opposition exercise of unity of fielding one candidate each against the BJP candidates.
The government is understood to have quietly alerted the Election Commission to prepare for the early elections of the Lok Sabha.
Modi has also asked his office and all ministries to finish the pending works fast to be ready for the polls.
The Opposition is already in the preparatory mode and its second round of conclave planned in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18 has been already damaged by the split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with prospects of its supremo Sharad Pawar becoming the prime minister candidate dimmed. The Gujarat High Court ruling on Friday has already ended Rahul Gandhi becoming the prime ministerial candidate.
Modi’s calculation is that the opposition parties will get involved in the Assembly elections in five states and they will have no time to be ready for the Lok Sabha polls. At least, they cannot be able to finalise single candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.
Though the BJP got the Ajit Pawar in the Maharashtra government, it will not help his group to overcome the anti-defection law and this is causing concern among those who have defected to his side. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is also worried because his MLAs have also started looking forward to join the Uddhav Thackeray camp. The scenario will change by the time the Maharashtra Assembly polls are held around the Vijayadashmi in 2024.
Modi’s next target is Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, the brain behind opposition unity, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has already made offers to 36 of the 45 Janata Dal(U) MLAs. If the BJP succeeds to reduce JD(U) strength of 16 Lok Sabha and 5 Rajya Sabha MPs with the help of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, it will use all force to pull down the Bihar government.
He has also put Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on its target to change the character of the national capital’s legislature, in which there will be neither the Assembly nor Kejriwal’s tactics of fighting constantly with the Centre. Punjab chief miniter Bhagwant Mann may also revolt against Kejriwal as he has 69 MLAs that ensures the anti-defection law cannot be played againt him.
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have also spread their net to catch Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhra Rao and their old ally Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Suspecting that BSP supremo Mayawati may shift to the Congress, Modi is alredy engaged in breaking up her party.
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