Delhi Polls and the 'Ten Lakh' Suit

NEW DELHI: Sunder Lal, a carpenter living “Yamuna paar” in a one room tenement is clear he will vote for Aam Aadmi Party although he was supporting the BJP in both the last Lok Sabha and Delhi Assembly elections. What’s happened, why the change, we ask. “Ab to yeh das lakh ka suit pehne lagen hain, garib ka kya bhala karenge,” (now he is wearing a suit of Rs 10 lakhs what will he do for the poor) is the sharp response.

Sunder Lal was referring to the pin striped suit that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore during the visit of United States President Barack Obama with his name embossed all over. Media reports, quoting designers, placed the cost of the suit at Rs 10 lakhs and clearly the information did not need the social media to go viral. It has become the turning point for the poor and low middle class working class, who were talking of little else on the eve of the polls in Delhi. Strange, as after the initial comments the issue has slipped out of upper middle class memory but clearly remains a ‘shocker’ for those struggling with price rise and power bills.

Harish, a driver who lives in Sangam Vihar, a virtual ghetto in the middle of South Delhi, cannot hide his anger. “Ab to bas lakhon ka suit pehen rahe hain Modiji, acche din kahan hain bhai, hamare liye to kabhi nahin ayenge,” he says. He is not sure who he will vote for, but is positive that it will not be the BJP.

Janaki, a maid, asks, “ people are saying Modiji was wearing a suit of Rs ten lakhs. Really? What kind of a man is that.” And then adds, “and they are saying he was wearing a T shirt of Rs one lakh? Arre bhagwan.” This has become the topic of discussion, with the word of mouth grapevine spreading the news across the resettlement colonies and shanties of Delhi. The price of the suit seems to have cut into the charisma of PM Modi whose rallies have not had the usual impact this time around.

The Congress party might not have many supporters in these elections but its leader Rahul Gandhi was able to ensure that the price of the suit spread through Delhi’s ghettos and shanties like wildfire. “He wears Rs 10 lakh suit. Newspapers report that this is not Make in India. That too is Make in UK. And then he tells you about Make in India and employment. Did any youth get employment? No. He told you that Delhi is dirty and clean it. He did not give you job, did not lessen your suffering but put a broom in your hand,” Gandhi said at a rally in Delhi. He attacked AAP as well but perhaps it is a sign of the times that the people picked up one part of his speech, and not the other.

Often in elections there is one issue that often emerges as the turning point. PM Modi’s suit seems to be acquiring that potential.

Interestingly “Crane Bedi’ is not an issue with the poor of Delhi who barely know her. In fact the difference in approach between the richer sections and the poor is stark. Those listening to English news channels and the media are angry that the BJPs chief ministerial candidate tried to take credit for towing former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s car when actually it was a vehicle in the entourage that had been towed by a junior policeman and not by Bedi herself. The poorer sections that The Citizen spoke to had another take on the incident. Lakshmi, who travels every day from Punjabi Bagh tenements to South Delhi to clean houses, said, “Yes I have heard of her (Bedi), she took away Indiraji’s car, and now she wants our votes.” Lakshmi like many of her generation remember Indira Gandhi fondly for giving them land to build little rooms on.

Rising prices are clearly embellished by other concerns that reinforce the “no one will do anything for us” perception of the poor who constitute the majority of voters in the national capital. The Rs ten lakh suit has fed into this, with even PM Modi being rejected despite his promises by those who are astounded by reports of the price of one piece of clothing.

Bedi has become a major irritant for Delhi’s well to do voters who might have voted for the BJP otherwise. A few, like one Sharma who did not want to be identified, said they would not vote as “I do not like Bedi or Kejriwal.” Others said they would not vote for the BJP “as Bedi is is a bit of a joke, we just can’t get her in as the CM.” Will you vote AAP? Lets see was the answer of most in this grouping.

Unlike the last Assembly elections many of the opposition parties are openly supporting Aam Aadmi. The Left and the Trinamool Congress are both on the same side again, with AAP. The erstwhile Janata Dal parivar is also supporting AAP and none of these parties have set up candidates. The outcome, however, is anyone’s guess.