Modi’s party seeks to unseat ‘common man’ in Delhi election

A diminutive former tax inspector is in the cross-hairs of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s governing party as it battles to take back power in the Delhi state elections on Saturday. Many voters see Kejriwal, 51, a cofounder of the Common Man’s Party, as “one of them”, political strategist Amitabh Tiwari told AFP news agency. “Before Kejriwal came to power, most of our money went on electricity bills and we didn’t receive proper water supply,” said slum-dweller and mother-of-five Salatun, who survives on the meagre salary of her ragpicker husband. The difference though is that Modi’s politics also carry a heavy dose of “Hindutva” – hegemony for India’s majority Hindus – while Kejriwal’s do not, analysts say. These are not wounds that heal easily.” Indeed in the Delhi election campaign, the BJP’s tone has become ever shriller, with some members implying Kejriwal is a “terrorist” backing Muslim-majority arch-enemy Pakistan.