Pay back time is approaching, CPI(M) on BJP's poll campaign

The "myths" catapulting Narendra Modi to power are bound to explode sooner than later, CPI(M) today said and claimed that the time to pay back to those who financed this election campaign is approaching which will further burden people.

Claiming "unprecedented" use of money power in the just- concluded elections, senior party leader Sitaram Yechury said "the myths leading up to the BJP victory are bound to explode sooner than later. This throws up the challenges for the future.

"We are on the morrow of the pay-back time to those who financed this election campaign. This can only mean further impositions of burdens on the people, forget providing them any relief."

In an editorial in the CPI(M) organ 'People's Democracy', he said "the subterranean campaign of Hindutva undercurrent will only sharpen communal polarisation threatening our secular democratic foundations."

"How effectively both these challenges (of economic burden and communalism) are met, will define the contours of the future for our people and the country," he said.

The BJP, he said, mounted "an effective campaign backed by an unprecedented display of money power and the building up of a media hype."

The successful projection of its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, was forged through a combination of Hindutva agenda and the promises of 'development' and 'good governance', with Gujarat being depicted as "the El dorado, a land of flowing milk and honey ... an earthly paradise, a Shangri-la of sorts."

BJP's campaign managers "brilliantly mobilised Indians around the belief in a piece of land and a deity, that is Gujarat and its presiding deity Modi - not unlike Ayodhya and Ram" and mounting "a spectacular and untiring mythology of Modi," he said.

On the other hand, the Congress campaign was "utterly ineffective and unable to take on this challenge of myth building", with its leadership even failing to enthuse its own cadre, he said.

Further, these elections have also thrown up "many lacunae in existing laws that need to be corrected."

"For instance, the country saw Modi file his nomination while polling was on in some other constituencies. The BJP released its manifesto in Delhi when the first phase of polling was on in some constituencies.

"While polling was on in Varanasi, Modi released a video speech from Gujarat as there was no polling there. This, however, was nationally telecast. All such and many more such instances were possible because of loopholes in existing laws," the CPI(M) leader said.

Yechury's editorial came a day ahead of a meeting of the CPI(M) Politburo which would analyse and assess the poll outcome and chalk out the future course of action. The party's Central Committee would meet in the first week of June.