'Target 25' a distant dream for BJP

After the Indo-Pak one-day series, the satorias (speculators) are now busy putting their money at stake on the results of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The satorias are not hesitating to put their money on the NDA government coming to power once again. Sure of that the NDA is coming back to power, the bookies are trying to speculate how many seats the BJP would get countrywide and in the state.
The bookies are known go by the poll surveys.But the survey reports only serve as the starting block before the gun is fired. The wise among the bookies are now questioning the verdict of the poll surveys as they were badly let down by the earlier rounds of surveys during Vidhan sabha elections when the surveys predicted Congress victory in the state. There are no takers for the recent surveys done by a national newspaper and along with some agencies, which said that BJP was poised to win 23 out of 25 seats.
“Congress is not itni gayee beeti as has been projected by the survey. It’s in a better position than before and issues in the Lok Sabha polls are quite different. There are strong individuals in Congress and the BJP has brought too many outsiders. This would certainly hurt the pride of the people who want the sons of the soil to be the candidates. The BJP can win only in the name of Atalji, like the Congress did it once in the name of Indiraji,� said Gyan Chand Godika (name changed), a noted bookie of Jaipur’s Johari Bazar, the nerve centre of the satta bazar.The initial reflections in the electorate suggests that the anti incumbency bug has not bitten the BJP. But there is nothing to cheer about as far as the performance of 100 days is concerned. The only segment which is happy with the government’s first 100 days is the state government employees because the BJP government has provided the healing touch by restoring some of the benefits withdrawn by the Gehlot government. Yet, there is a division among employees, who feel that even the BJP government has done nothing to get them the leave encashment, bonus and the wages of 64 days of strike when the Gehlot government dealt with the employees with an iron hand.
The common feeling is that the BJP’s “Target 25� is a dream, which would never be fulfilled. There are many who also believe that such boastful slogans will do more harm to the party than good against a party which has ruled the country for the longest period of time.
“Is bar Congress ne bhi kamar kas li hai. Sara daromadar 40 lakh Jaton ke rukh par bhi nirbhar kargega. Pichhli bar Vidhan Sabha chunav mein INLD ne kafi seeton par Congress ko nuksan pahuchaya tha. Isbar INLD maidan mein hi nahi dikhti,� said Suraj Khatri, the Congress spokesman.
Khatri, known for his poll academics boasts that the Congress has fielded strong candidates who are individually capable of turning the table. He says Congress will only have to press hard to regain three to four percent votes and if it achieves it, the party will at least be in the position, where the BJP ended last time i.e. 16 seats.
A broad outlook and a casual overview suggest that the BJP will just have a small edge over Congress. The third front will not be able to do much damage, particularly the BSP.
The BJP hopes that the 59 percent Jats, who are in their favour and the younger generation of Jats make them comfortable in six to seven Jat influenced seats. The Congress feel that with the departure of Ashok Gehlot against whom the Jats nursed grouse, would help the Congress.