Flora and fawning

With the national elections only a few days away, we now enter what we call the drool bucket phase of the elections. Buckets of drool now flows in the newsrooms. There are no issues to discuss. The atmosphere is indistinguishable from a medieval king's public court appearance. People stand at awe at the monarch's magnificent cavalcade and throw flowers and incense at it. Court jesters bristle for a vantage position so that they might attract the king's attention. The funnier you are, the bigger will be the rewards afterwards.

First, we start with a flashback. Sagarika Ghose of 2004 vintage:

AMETHI, MARCH 29 Setting off to make his political debut and launch his campaign in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi is freshly shaved, crisply clad in white kurta-pyjama and red angavastram and feeling, he beams, "very good". In an exclusive interview to The Indian Express aboard the flight to Lucknow, Rahul said his agenda right now is limited to Amethi. "It's only you guys in the media who are pushing me to other roles. As far as I'm concerned, my focus is winning Amethi and taking part in the campaign."

[...]

Rahul holds an M. Phil in Economics from Trinity College, Cambridge, and has worked with Monitor Group, a consultancy firm set up by Michael Porter of Harvard Business School. Until a few months ago, he was running his own IT company, Strategy Consultancy, in Mumbai.  "I'm the same man as I always was. The same man went to the US, the same man is now back in Amethi with my people."

No journalist can break through without something like that on their resume. Of course, Ms. Ghose has since then broken through.

Five years later, only the men holding the microphone change. The message remains the same.

SULTANPUR: When Rahul Gandhi walked into the Sultanpur collectorate on April 5, 2004, to debut in politics, those were baby steps from a reluctant politician who appeared coaxed by mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka, standing by his side, into taking the plunge. On Saturday, he came in an open car, washed in the rain of rose petals with a beaming mother by his side, and waved to a jostling crowd with a gait seemingly ready to take on bigger responsibilities.

In just five years, as Rahul filed papers to contest his second election from Amethi, the scion of Gandhi family seems to have covered the journey of a lifetime, making a swift transition from a reluctant king to a willing heir apparent. 

The princess is doing her bit too, notwithstanding the recent tragedy in her husband's family and aided by technology in no small measure:

RAE BARELI: At the moment Sonia Gandhi entered Rae Bareli city on way to file her nomination, waving to crowds amid drumbeats and rose petals, Rahul by her side, over 10,000 mobile phones rang in unison. It was a persuasive Priyanka urging the subscribers in support of her mother.

Even in her absence, forced by a family bereavement, Priyanka loomed large over Rae Bareli, speaking to locals as if on the other side of the phone. Amused locals, already family partisans, wore happy smiles at their opportunity to "talk" to the daughter of the first family.

So, doesn't this mobile message intrude people's right to be left alone? Oh, what wouldn't a political party do to have a media to make explanations on its own behalf:

"A local friend was in Lucknow when Priyankaji's call came to him. He is so thrilled by the whole thing," said a party functionary. It is a novel method which locals planned on realising that the tough electoral battle would have Sonia and Rahul focussed on the national scene. Priyanka's message was seen as the best replacement. And given her popularity, it is not seen as "intrusive".

The crisp voice clips, from an address to workers in March, are politically significant. Like, Priyanka says, "The code of conduct is important and we have to follow it. It ensures free and fair elections."

With a friendly media acting as a referee, does the opposition stand any chance? The media has already decided who won the verbal battle.

Campaigning for her brother and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in his constituency of Amethi, Priyanka said the Congress is not an old party. "Kya mein budhi dikhti hoon? (Do I look old to you)," she asked people of Khalidpur village. "Does Sonia Gandhi (Congress president and her mother), Rahul Gandhi or I look old to you," she asked, addressing voters.

A commenter points out "..a new news channel, Live India, spent around 15 minutes of Prime Time gloating about how, with this comment, Priyanka had hit a sixer to the googly bowled by Modi and how Modi had finally met his match!" We beg to differ, but never mind. 

Meanwhile the gracious abdicator of the throne is taking on tougher territories:

JAMUI: In a resounding rebuff to RJD boss Lalu Prasad's "Jai Ho Sonia" chants even after parting ways with Congress, AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a direct attack on RJD and said people know what happened during RJD's 15-year rule in Bihar. 

Reminding people of the glorious past of the state, Sonia said Bihar has been a land of peace and philosophy and has produced great leaders. "The less said the better about those dark days," she said, blissfully skirting the fact that her party was part of the RJD government's third term in the state.  "I salute you all as you belong to this state," she said, trying to establish an emotional rapport with the crowd.

It is all about the here and now. A close scrutiny of the past is not really essential. 

It's been like this for a few days now, as it will continue through the long and arduous, absurdly long election cycle. Everywhere it is only roses that adorn the monarchs. Only roses, pink roses, red roses. Never marigold, jasmine or even tube roses. Because, as everyone knows, roses are secular and marigolds are saffron.

References:

http://www.indianexpress.com/oldstory.php?storyid=43968
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Rahul-has-come-a-long-way-in-5-years/articleshow/4359856.cms
http://dailypioneer.com/167467/Varun-emerges-as-darling-of-prime-time-TV-news-study.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/88013/jammu-speaks-who-will-be-indias-obama.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Priyankas-call-energises-Rae-Bareli/articleshow/4367244.cms
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gf53l7BbUSc4DUHCgzjLF4YfW9CgD97CSJCO0?index=0&ned=us
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Sonia-Rahul-opponents-in-token-fight/articleshow/4383585.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Do-I-look-old-to-you-Priyanka-to-Modi/articleshow/4388436.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Bihar-saw-dark-days-under-Lalu-Sonia/articleshow/4389541.cms
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20090413&fname=Young+Voter+(F)&sid=1