Modi turns mum after LS debacle

“Saab ne mana kar diya hai kisi ko bhi milne se” was a curt response from a security personnel guarding the Chief Minister’s bungalow on that day when a crew of media persons from TV channels and print media made a vain bid to approach Modi to seek his reaction to BJP’s debacle in the 2004 LS polls.

A group of journalists faced a similar situation on Saturday when they marched to the ministerial enclave to seek Modi’s reaction to BJP’s drubbing and the Congress-led UPA’s impressive show in the 2009 general elections at the national level. The media persons were also curious to ask him why the BJP in Gujarat could not improve its position much in the just-concluded LS polls,as compared to the 2004 poll results.

“We have been instructed by the personal staff at the CM’s bungalow that no one should be allowed to meet him (Modi),” an armed security man guarding the main gate at the ministerial enclave told a team of media persons.

A crew of private TV news channels and reporters waited outside the main gate till late afternoon in the hope that Modi would relent. But,finally they all had to return without meeting the CM.

As the poll results began trickling in the morning with the Congress and its allies increasing their tally in almost all parts of the country,Modi went incommunicado.

He went into seclusion and remained closeted in his posh official bungalow in the state capital throughout the day,refusing to meet anybody — be it his party workers or media persons.

“The boss preferred to remain huddled in his bungalow alone with only TV and cell phone for company. He would break his silence only to make calls to senior BJP leaders,including L K Advani,in Delhi to keep himself abreast of further political developments,” a top Modi aide attached to his bungalow staff told Newsline this evening.

Asked,the Modi aide conceded that the poll results favouring UPA had really upset one and all,including the CM. He,however,agreed that since Modi had been regularly giving interviews to TV channels and newspapers on his campaign tours across the country,he should have gracefully invited the press corps today and conceded before them the BJP’s defeat. Meanwhile,political pundits believe the 2009 LS poll outcome may dampen Modi’s hope to play a key role in national politics in the days to come. “The CM had extensively used aircraft and choppers and crisscrossed as many as 22 states to address election meetings during the campaign. Yet,the BJP suffered poll reverses in almost all the states where Modi campaigned — be it Uttar Pradesh,Kerala,West Bengal,Maharashtra,Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu,Andhra Pradesh,Punjab,Orissa or Assam,” a political observer pointed out.

Even in Gujarat,Modi addressed over 80 election meetings during the poll campaign,highlighting his much-hyped “development” plank. But,he could add to the BJP’s tally by just one seat to the 14 won by the party in the 2004 LS elections. All through his campaign,he raised issues of terrorism and non-performance of the Manmohan Singh government,besides underlining the role played by his government in the “development” made by Gujarat. Apparently,the voters were not much impressed by all this.

On condition of anonymity,a senior BJP leader said,“Now that our party has suffered such a setback in the polls,the CM may have very little role to play at the national level. He will now concentrate more on Gujarat.” When asked about the CM’s refusal to meet media people,Jagdish Thakkar,public relations officer in CM’s office said,“He need not say anything more as the party’s national leaders like Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singhji have given reasons for the party’s debacle in the LS elections.”