Modi’s Patna rally: More Modi-Nitish, less Bihar

The much awaited Patna rally of Bhartiya Janata Part’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi gave headlines as promised. Although the biggest headline was snatched by the serial blasts at the venue and Patna railway station, Modi still managed to mark his presence by his bitter speech against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

However, Modi’s composure and decision to go ahead with the rally even when the whole area was not completely sanitized after seven blasts, where one IED was found underneath dais and one blast took place minutes before Modi arrived at the venue, was laudable.

Modi was supposed to play the bugle (Hunkar) against Nitish by summoning him on his government’s failure. It was supposed to be a strong response to Nitish’s much-publicised ‘Adhikar’ rally held in November last year – it sought to create strong public opinion in favour of the government’s demand for special category status to Bihar. But it was sad to see that Modi just touched the issue of Bihar’s special status and special package and went ahead with showing his rift with Nitish through the platform.

The mockery of BJP’s 17 year old alliance with JD(U), which broke because of Modi’s arrogance and Nitish’s fear, took the center stage.

The way Modi called Nitish a traitor for breaking up with JP, held BJP in high esteem for giving political asylum to the leader after his rift with RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav and handing him over the reins of Bihar after the alliance won the assembly elections, only indicated towards one thing- the rally was about insulting Nitish.

Also, Modi played on his own image in the rally. Although calling UPA’s policies and statements regarding poverty (Rs 26 are enough for a day, food comes for Rs 12) insane may well be taken as a good attack strategy, but harping on his own tea-vending days to resonate people’s mind was a bit too much.

Nitish not letting him enter Bihar on several occasions was another matter through which Modi tried to show how disfavoured he was by the Bihar CM and how the latter was an arrogant fellow.

In all, the Bihari janata which dared blasts and swarmed the Gandhi Maidan of Patna was disappointed by the Modi publicity rally because it had nothing for them.