On Gujarat polls

Various aspects of the Gujarat election have been discussed in the Urdu press.

Various aspects of the Gujarat election have been discussed in the Urdu press. Kolkata and Delhi-based Akhbar-e-Mashriq December 16 has condemned both the BJP and Congress for mud-slinging in the campaign. 8220;Itni bhondi, bhaddi aur gandi intikhaabi muhim maazi mein kabhi nahi chalayi gayi thee8221; 8212; such a farcical, filthy election campaign was never seen in the past.

Delhi8217;s Hindustan Express in an editorial dated December 18 says that Narendra Modi8217;s posture indicates that he is either paranoid about the fact that he may be defeated, or he is so confident about his victory, that he is unable to control the high that power brings 8212; 8220;iqtedaar ka nasha sambhale nahi sambhal raha hai.8221;

Jamaat-e-Islami8217;s mouthpiece, Daawat, on December 19 in an editorial describing the two major leaders in the BJP, Vajpayee and Advani as ek sikke ke do rukh, two sides of the same coin, asks, 8220;why was the appeal of Vajpayee calling for support to the party that stands for promoting communal harmony, development and prosperity withheld before the first phase of the Gujarat elections?8217;

Rashtriya Sahara December 10 has 8220;called for a check on irresponsible statements during elections.8221; Delhi8217;s Jadeed Khabar December 18 has congratulated the Election Commission for conducting a free and fair election in an atmosphere of 8220;fear and terror8221;.

Dream merchant

National Herald8217;s Qaumi Awaz has described the newly anointed PM candidate of the BJP a 8220;sapnon ke saudagar8221; saying that 8220;it isn8217;t surprising that the merchant of dreams, Advani, is also speaking the language of Narendra Modi8221;.

Hindustan Express on December 12 in an editorial, Advani ka khwaab-e-gurezaan Advani dreams of that which is elusive says, 8220;Advani is being pushed once again as they have no option, it is a compulsion of the BJP, as we have seen how he has been humiliated in the past.8221; Many papers have linked his anointment with the Gujarat elections and the BJP8217;s apparent need to put Modi in his place.

Lucknow-based Qaumi Khabrein December 12 says that if Modi succeeds in Gujarat, he will 8220;project it as his personal triumph, and might claim the PM8217;s post if the opportunity arises. RSS has done this to try and clip Modi8217;s wings.8221; Delhi, Lucknow, Dehradun and Mumbai-based Sahafat on December 13 writes, 8220;the BJP8217;s strategy of putting up Advani will further damage the toota-phoota NDA.

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Advani8217;s aggressive political style will result in reduction of the number of BJP allies.8221; Hyderabad8217;s Rahnuma-e-Deccan says, 8220;this is the party8217;s internal matter, but many allies might lay claim to the leader8217;s post in case of an NDA victory.8221;

Modi8217;s burqa

On December 8, in a page one 8216;exclusive8217;, Hindustan Express claims that the Gujarat Congress has alleged that a leading Surat textile trader has been commissioned to prepare 2 lakh white round caps and 50,000 black burqas to be worn by BJP workers on election day, to demonstrate to the media, that Muslims are voting with great enthusiasm which may lead to a communal polarisation between the two communities 8212; to the BJP8217;s advantage.

Compiled by Anees Chishti, senior journalist and editor of Alpjan Quarterly