If comedy kings Raju Srivastav, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shekhar Suman are invading the political stage, Modi is intruding on their comic space.
While a creative Modi has spun one-liners, hate has been missing from his stinging speeches. Instead, satire is his favourite weapon against his targets these days. His barbs at the Gandhi family and Congress are laced with wit, humour and repartee. If Congress has refrained from provoking or reacting to Modi, the CM has invented ways of hitting the headlines.
Coming handy are his early lessons in theatre and his ability to connect with the audience. Academic records at his school in Vadnagar, and some teachers are alive to authenticate that, show that though an average student, Modi used to excel in theatre.
Those who have seen Modi from close quarters say this election has unmasked a new aspect of the leader - his humour. Call it part of his image makeover excercise to wish away the taint of the 2002 riots, but he has clearly conceded the hate space to Varun Gandhi, if some detractors in the party wanted it this way.
What Varun was saying in Pilibhit last month matched what Modi had spoken during the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra in Chanasma before the December 2002 Assembly elections, tapes of which were sent then to the Election Commission. Even then, Modi was careful with his words while he aroused hate.
He could have endorsed Varun's venom. Instead, in a TV interview, he casually brushed the issue aside saying it was sub-judice. "There is a shade of A B Vajpayee in Modi this time. Vajpayee's speeches were full of wit, which endeared him to the voter,'' said a senior BJP leader, adding that there was a coarseness in Modi's humour which the common man would find more appealing.
Riot of laughter
* O Ba, O Ma
When terrorists attacked Mumbai, Congress leaders rushed to the US. They should have gone to Pakistan. In the US, they pleaded O Ba, O Ma... please save us
* Budhiya
Terminology to describe Congress as a 125-year-old party. This sent Modi's TRPs soaring
* Gudiya
Priyanka Gandhi, who reacted to Modi. Since then, the Gandhis are silent
* SRP is after me
S for Sonia, R for Rahul and P for Priyanka. In this age of SMS, abbreviations are an in thing, he says
* Not MAR but RAM
Before Congress could say MAR (Modi, Advani and Rajnath), Modi put it in their mouth. He said they should respect seniority. "They should have called us RAM (Rajnath, Advani and Modi). But something stops them from saying RAM
* Kapadwala, Dabbawala, Gas Batlawala
Congress troika of Shankersinh Vaghela (textiles minister), Naran Rathwa (railway minister) and Dinsha Patel (petroleum minister)
* Middlemen Congressmen
Congress manifesto promised wheat at Rs 3 a kg to the poor, Modi joked that Gujarat government was selling wheat at Rs 2 a kg. The Congress would buy wheat from Gujarat at Rs 2 per kg and sell it for Rs 3 per kg.
*Soniaben's homework
She mixes up the script. The other day, she spoke in Jetpur about Sujalam Sufalam. This speech was to be read out at Kheralu which has a Sujalam Sufalam project.
No comments:
Post a Comment