And another response to Saturday's opposition rally at the Brigade Ground in Kolkata: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday said India has moved ahead of 1971 and the aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" in the forthcoming general elections. The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, he said in a Facebook post titled 'Agenda for 2019 -- Modi Vs Chaos'.
"Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination. OR is it Modi vs Chaos," Jaitley wondered. The Minister is currently in the US for a medical check up.
Recalling the 1971 General Elections, Jaitley said the opposition had formed a 'Grand Alliance' or the 'Mahagathbandhan' teaming up against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "We had powerful leaders and a head-start in the media. Additionally, the Congress had split into two.... The results were announced, India rejected negativism. The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome," Jaitley said.
Stating that every General Election has its own script that is dictated by the prevailing political environment, Jaitley said for 2019 political battle, India's opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, random political grouping to gain from the electoral arithmetic.
He said Opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Narendra Modi. "It is obvious that the level of satisfaction with PM Sh @narendramodi ji is very high. If that weren't so, what was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity & a certain comeback that is bringing them together," Jaitley said.
Image: The mahagathbandhan rally at the Brigade Ground in Kolkata.