With the Akalis fighting for their lives in Punjab, there is little of the NDA left to induce confidence. And before the party flaunts its Shiv Sena affiliations take a look at Saamna, the party's mouthpiece. Gujeratis, it says, are not trustworthy.
If numbers do not help him ascend the Delhi throne, Modi would be loathe to have the “oldies” he sidelined in Goa be resurrected. That would fritter away the good he has accumulated in the course of the lengthy campaign. The Sangh Parivar is now in possession of new data on Dalits, how Valmikis, Lohars, Khatiks, Mallahs are willing to be Hindutva's new infantry, deserting caste parties. This is a huge advance on the work among Dalits done by RSS social workers like K.N. Govindacharya in the 90s.
If Modi were interested in an enlarged NDA, he would not have burnt (or weakened) his bridges with Mamata Bannerjee, Jayalalithaa, Mayawati or Naveen Patnaik. But Murli Manohar Joshi has turned up in Nagpur to advance the interests of the BJP, in the event of Modi's electoral eclipse. This signals a power struggle.
Just look at the awesome power of the Indian people, as the world waits with bated breath for the May 16 election results. Heaven knows what fate awaits all of us. And, as I asked at the outset, what surprise twist awaits the Modi tale?
