It's Modi's 'sarab' vs grand alliance's 'nasha'

Coining of new terms for the rivals during elections is not unique in India but it acquired altogether different dimensions in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls on Thursday.

It all began, when prime minister Narendra Modi likened the SP-BSP-RLD alliance to liquor and asked the people to keep away from it.

Addressing an election rally at Meerut, about 450 kilometres from here, Modi, taking the first two hindi words from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and BSP said that they were 'sarab' (liquor), which was not good for the health of the people and must be avoided.

''If we take 'sa' of SP, 'ra' of RLD and 'b' of BSP we get sarab and people must keep away from it....liquor is harmful for the health....it will ruin you...so you (people) should avoid sarab,'' the prime minister said.

Not wanting to be the outcome, the rival SP came out with its own version. It coined a new term- 'nasha' (intoxication) using hindi words from the names of Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

''If we take the first hindi word from Narendra Modi we get 'n'.....if we add it with 'sh' from Amit Shah, we get 'nasha'' said SP spokesman Manoj Pandey.

Furious over Modi's 'sarab' jibe, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said that the former did not know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab'. ''The teleprompter exposed Modi...those, who encourage hatred, do not know the difference between sarab and sharab....sarab means mirage and the BJP has shown mirage to the people during its five-year rule,'' Akhilesh said.