Sonia Gandhi joined a campaign trail on Tuesday after a gap of almost two years. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairman flew to Vijayapura in North Karnataka, four days before the crucial May 12 Assembly elections in the state. The district was in news on the same day also because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a rally here. As lakhs of people gathered to witness her speak, the voters could not stop themselves from comparing the oratory skills of both the national leaders.
“She spoke about all the topics that concern us, yet she was not abusive at all,” Sidappa Puranik, a 75-year-old farmer said after hearing Sonia Gandhi’s speech. Puranik was upset with the tone with which leaders have started speaking now. When asked for which party he will vote, prompt comes the reply, “We will make Siddaramaiah the chief minister again.”
The farmers in this part of the state are struggling with drought. They, however, admit that the loan waiver offered by the Congress government came as a huge relief to them. The irrigation schemes introduced by Water Resources Minister MB Patil have also started benefitting these distraught farmers.
Like Puranik, another voter Sunil Rathod worryingly said, “Whenever the prime minister opens his mouth these days, he utters a new lie”. Rathod’s friend nods in agreement, “Daily dus jhooth bolta hai (everyday he says 10 false things).” An increase in the number of rape cases across the country, unemployment, and corruption has alarmed the voters. Modi’s constant bloopers and distortion of facts have filled them with a sense of disgust.
The prime minister is touring the state, besides a battery of other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, and Yogi Adityanath. “All this doesn’t matter. Let, Yogi, Modi or anybody come. We know what they are up to. People go to simply see them sometimes,” Dastagir Kasab, who had travelled from the neighbouring Bagalkot district, said.
The voters seem to understand that this election has a wider significance. Although it is a state election, a mention of Modi or Yeddyurappa, takes them back to 2014 Lok Sabha polls. “Where is the money that he had promised us? Where is the black money? Nirav Modi, (Vijay) Mallya all ran away. Forget about bringing money, they can’t bring these criminals too,” an angry SS Pattana, said. “We have made an account also, they asked us to make it, now it is empty.”
In her speech, Sonia Gandhi said, “Wherever Modiji goes he says wrong things and distorts historical facts. He insults the heroes from our history and armymen only to get votes.”
Underlining the numerous schemes started by the Siddaramaiah government, including Anna Bhagya for the poor, Sonia Gandhi reminded the voters that Modi refused to meet Siddaramaiah when the state was reeling under drought. “He did not just insult the chief minister. He insulted all of you. All states that suffered drought were given compensation, Karnataka was provided with the least, this was like rubbing salting into the wounds of farmers. I ask Modi ji, is this your ‘sabka-saath, sabka-vikas’?”
The BJP is tirelessly trying to label the incumbent Karnataka government as corrupt. Sonia Gandhi called out Modi for not appointing a Lokpal even after four years and asked him what was his “model for fighting corruption”. Pointing fingers towards Jay Shah’s business controversy, Sonia Gandhi said, “Will you use the model of your closest friend’s son to solve corruption.”
While there was no sign of Modi magic, a sense of Sonia magic seemed to have worked as the Congress leader hit the right chord as she asked the right questions without using the art of mocking.