Yesterday, 17th November, 2013 was a defining moment. Shri Narendra Modi addressed lakhs of prople who had assembled at Bengaluru. His speech was coherent, powerful and one which connected with the people. The response of the audience was electrifying.
Shri Rahul Gandhi addressed a well publicized Congress rally at Dr.Ambedkar Nagar in New Delhi. Dr.Ambedkar Nagar is a Congress stronghold. The Congress Party usually wins that constituency comfortably. Despite the build-up by the Delhi Chief Minister and the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee the audience was missing. Shri Rahul Gandhi delayed his arrival at the meeting so that the organizers could mobilize more people. These efforts did not succeed. When Sh. Gandhi arrived, the thin audience became thinner. People started leaving. Smt. Sheila Dixit’s appeal to them to listen to Rahul ji eventually did not cut ice. Sh. Rahul Gandhi eventually addressed a few people and empty chairs. The high point of his speech was to credit the UPA with building a great airport in Delhi. Oblivious of the grievance of the local people, he highlighted the success of the Delhi government in providing electricity and water to the people. The crowds had come from Ambedkar Nagar and Sangam Vihar—the two assembly seats where they have to buy water from private tankers. The electricity bills in Delhi have sky rocketed 300 percent during the Congress rule. The water bills have increased by 1100 percent. The Congress votes in Delhi will be inversely proportionate to the hike in electricity and water tariffs.