Searching for a wave: On the general election so far
The HinduIn the third round of polling for the 18th Lok Sabha on Tuesday, over 1,300 candidates were in the fray in 93 Lok Sabha constituencies across 12 States and Union Territories. One of the most watched battles was in Baramati, Maharashtra, between veteran Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, wife of his estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Unused to being on the defensive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has alleged a conspiracy by the Congress and its partners to give away the reservation meant for Hindu subalterns to Muslims. While the Congress and its partners are aiming at a Hindu subaltern consolidation against the BJP in their favour, the ruling BJP’s focus is on consolidating its Hindu base by constantly targeting Muslims.