Why Modi is attacking regional satraps now

TNN Apr 12, 2014, NEW DELHI/ BHUBNESWAR : Buoyed by reports of a BJP swell even in states where it has been an also ran , Narendra Modi has launched sharp attacks against regional satraps Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik over the last two days. 

BJP's prime ministerial candidate on Friday singled out Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik for some rough treatment, saying a leader who cannot speak, read or write his mother tongue could not provide a good government.

Modi's acerbic comment, a day after he slammed Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee's claim to "poriborton (change)" in West Bengal as hollow created a buzz as BJD and Trinamool are seen as likely post poll allies. 

Taking Mamata head on, Modi said "Unless she criticises Modi, her food does not get digested," and added that instead of ushering in real change in West Bengal, Mamata had only indulged in vote bank politics. 

This is a sharp departure from his earlier speech in Kolkata where Modi suggested that while Didi (Mamata) could serve West Bengal's interests, he could do the job in Delhi. The accommodative tone has now evapourated. 

Modi's decision to turn up the heat seems to flow from the assessment that BJP might be placed to win seats in Odisha and West Bengal rather than being a mere spoiler as earlier anticipated and also reflects the assessment that polling on 91 seats on Thursday went well. 

BJP's initial reluctance to attack staraps had been attributed to the calculation that it would not like to shut out the option of post-poll deals with outfits hostile to Congress. 

In his blog, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley offered BJP's assessment, saying, "News from Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Jammu appears to be that in many constituencies, Congress has been pushed to a third position. This may well be a situation in several constituencies of Odisha. The trends from UP are worse." 

The Gujarat CM seems to calculate that rather than keeping his powder dry, it might be more profitable to step up attacks as seats from the eastern states would be a bonus, bolstering BJP's bid to cross the 200-mark on its own. 

The BJP leader could have also taken note of Banerjee's reference to him as having "blood on his hands" and Patnaik's comment that Modi is too controversial and communal to be healthy for the country. 

BJP sources said by targeting Modi the regional leaders are admitting that the party is a significant threat. A rise in BJP votes could benefit Left and reduce Trinamool seats while BJD is suddenly having to content with a new rival. 

With reports that BJP did well in Thursday's polling in western Odisha, Modi hit out at Patnaik, saying, "The man who does not understand your language, feel your miseries and pain, cannot give you a good government." 

"Does your CM meet you? Do you need such people? ... You have tolerated a person for 15 years who does not understand your language," he said. 

In a recent speech, Banerjee had said "It does not behove well to talk about the country for those who have blood on their hands."