Discourse just on electioneering or Rahul as next PM?

None of NDA and UPA getting majority votes while regional parties playing as king-makers, the chances of Rahul Gandhi being India’s next Prime Minister are very much real.

Watched two interviews, one by Rahul Gandhi given to News18 India and second by PM Modi to India TV broadcasted yesterday. Interview by PM Modi was an eye-catching display of elite showbiz organized in the auditorium of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi while interview by Rahul was recorded in Sultanpur of Uttar Pradesh in some very simple surroundings without any pomp and show.

The contrast of settings for the two interviews speaks contrary to the propagated humble backgrounds of PM Modi and dynastic lineage of Rahul. Starting from the arrival of PM Modi for the interview till the end of it the ambience echoed by the chants of 'Modi-Modi' was an exotic display of well-crafted composition and campaigning while the informal and natural flow of interview by Rahul looked reminiscent of he being one of the middle-class Indians and connected to masses and ground realities. It will be interesting to see whether voters will get lured by the exotic display of well-crafted composition and campaigning around a larger than life depiction of PM Modi's brand value or the display of down to earth simplicity mirroring love and affection for people by Rahul.

Seeing some pre-poll surveys and analyses published by media fraternity pointing towards a hung mandate with none of NDA and UPA getting majority votes while regional parties playing as king-makers, the chances of Rahul Gandhi being India's next Prime Minister are very much real. And this reality is good enough a reason for media fraternity to take a break from the onerous discourse on the electioneering and start discussing him as next PM of India as well as the development agenda that his government needs to pursue.