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The BJP and the Congress on Sunday launched their theme songs for the election campaign which presented a picture in contrast: while the BJP had its “Modi-versus-All” pitch with more than a dash of hyper nationalism, the Congress focused on political economy with basic minimum income and justice for all.
The songs have been unveiled at the peak of the election campaign, with just three days to go for the first phase of polling.
The BJP will come out with its manifesto on Monday morning.
Ab Hoga Nyay (There will be justice now), the Congress’ rap-style theme song penned by lyricist Javed Akhtar, is based on the party’s famed Nyuntam Aay Yojna (NYAY) scheme.
The BJP, on the other hand, carried forward its 2014 slogan, Ab ki baar Modi Sarkar (This time it will be Modi government) , by asking for an encore — Phir ek baar Modi Sarkar (Once again, it will be a Modi government)”.
Time for justice
Punning on the word nyay (justice), Congress leader Anand Sharma said the song focusses on the “cry for justice in the country which has been denied to the poor”.
Targeting the BJP’s major policy initiatives, especially demonetisation and agrarian distress, the song follows the Congress’s pro-poor and aam aadmi (common man) thrust, with the lyrics “Main hi to Hindustan hoon” (I am India).
It mentions unemployment, rural distress, impact of demonetisation and farmers’ suicide as the principal Opposition party’s main campaign themes.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley dismissed the Congress’s “hype” on basic minimum income, saying: “They had promised the same thing in 2004 and 2009. It didn’t exactly set the Yamuna on fire.”
Banking on performance
The BJP’s theme song, released by Jaitley, who was joined by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, focusses on a “decisive and majority government” against “chaos and mahamilavat (adulterated alliance, a term for the Opposition Mahagathbandhan coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi)”.
The theme song “Phir ek baar Modi Sarkaar” (Modi government once more) will centre on Modi’s five-year performance — with a special thrust on national security, honesty, ability to take big decisions — besides targeting the Opposition for its alleged lack of cohesiveness.
The poor, the middle class and the neo-middle class will be at the centre of the BJP’s electioneering, Jaitley said, and took a swipe at the Congress for “not even saying a word” on the emerging middle class when it launched its manifesto.
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