State polls: BJP banks on Kashmir, Oppn targets economy

Is the BJP still riding the Modi wave or has the Opposition's strident attack on the NDA government on its handling of the economy made any headway with the voters? The Opposition will be searching for answers to such questions during the upcoming assembly elections to Maharashtra and Haryana.

While the BJP has been gung-ho about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decisive leadership and the reading down of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition has launched a persistent attack on the government over its handling of the economy.

However, a section of the opposition leaders believes that the electorate was still under the spell cast by Modi during the recent Lok Sabha election when the BJP retained power at the Centre with an enhanced mandate – both for itself and the NDA coalition.

“Let them try, distract us, divert our attention, we will stick to these pro-people issues – issues of farmers, issues of those 15 lakh persons who lost their jobs in the last three months and lakhs of crore rupees lost on the stock market,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said.

The NCP, the CPI(M) and other opposition parties too have kept the economy in focus and chose to give little importance to the “theatrics”, including Sunday's “Howdy Modi?” event in Houston that was being telecast live across the country.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi picked up the same phrase 'Howdy Modi?' – which has been trending across social media – to question the Prime Minister on the economy.

“Amazing what PM is ready to do for a stock market bump during his #HowdyIndianEconomy jamboree. At + 1.4 Lakh Crore Rs. the Houston event is the world's most expensive event, ever! But, no event can hide the reality of the economic mess “HowdyModi” has driven India into,” Rahul said.

Hit by defections, the Congress in Maharashtra is a demoralised lot and the absence of the star campaigner of the Lok Sabha elections – Rahul Gandhi – is also expected to pose a challenge to the party.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar seems to be ploughing a lonely furrow and hit the campaign trail with vigour and gusto, vowing to oust the BJP from power in the state.

In Haryana, the Congress is still coming to terms with the organisational changes that saw the ouster of state unit president Ashok Tanwar and CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary to accommodate the ambitions of former Chief Minister B S Hooda.