Elections nearing, parties slug it out on X through cartoons, poetry

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 23

The Congress, the BJP, and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) are slugging it out against each other in a no-holds barred match on X using memes, catchphrases, cartoons, videos and even a sprinkle of pedestrian poetry. With little over a month left for the Assembly elections, the BJP has seized every opportunity to target former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda alleging there was corruption during the 10-year rule the previous Congress government.

• “Jail ke dar se baar-baar bikta rahe, udhar ka ho aur idhar ka dikhta rahe” Dushyant Chautala, JJP leader

Meanwhile, the Congress is keeping it classy with their ‘Hisab Do, Jawab Do’ video campaign, highlighting issues such as Agniveer, unemployment, inflation and rising crime and seeking accountability for the 10-year tenure of the Khattar-Saini duo. Not to be outdone, the JJP is adding a touch of poetic drama to the contest.

A recent duel between the Congress and the BJP centered on the Election Commission of India (ECI) order restricting the state government from declaring the recruitment results following a complaint by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh. The Haryana BJP had in multiple posts on X described it as an act of the ‘Bharti Roko Gang’ of the Congress. It had also accused Bhupinder Hooda of being concerned only about his son’s future. The Congress reposted with a reply in Haryanvi dialect: “5 saal ke tinde leyo the thamm? Election ke tem bharti yaad aave hai thare bas” (Why were you sitting idle for the past five years? You remember recruitment only at the time of elections).

After the Congress held a meeting of the Punjabi community in Karnal, the BJP posted an old (edited) video of Deepender and a meme of Bhupinder Hooda, claiming they hate Punjabis. When incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Saini took potshots at the Congress alleging nepotism in the party, calling Rahul Gandhi “Tara” and Deepender “Sitara”, the opposition party reminded him that his wife had also contested the Zila Parishad elections and finished fourth.

Then there was a two-day feud over the Rajya Sabha elections. As Hooda had refused to put up a candidate for the lone seat in the absence of sufficient numbers, former Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala targeted him on X on August 19 saying: “Jail ke dar se baar-baar bikta rahe, udhar ka ho aur idhar ka dikhta rahe” (You keep selling yourself repeatedly due to the fear of jail, being from there and then appearing to be from here).

The same day, the Congress replied, “Ab woh uthate hain bewajah mudde, satta mein rehte janta se aankh churate, apne raah ka pata nahin jinhe, woh ab ban rahe hain hamein rah batane wale” (Now, they, who avoided an eye contact with the public while in power, are raising unnecessary issues; those who don’t know their path are showing us the way).

The next day, both JJP and Congress called each other “gaddar” (traitor). The JJP posted: “Jisne zameen cheenkar loote zamindar, batao kaun hai woh gaddar; jisne syahi kaand se kari party lachaar, batao kaun hai woh gaddar” (The one who looted landlords by snatching their land, tell us who is that traitor? The one who made the party helpless with the ink scandal, tell us who is that traitor?).

The Congress, in turn, said, “You don’t know poetry, so don’t attempt it. You are only good at ‘gaddari’ (betrayal),” and reminded him Dushyant that he hadn’t even spared his grandfather OP Chautala.

As if that wasn’t enough, Dushyant Chautala threw shade at Saini on August 22 and suggested that he may want to test his luck in the elections from Karnal to truly understand Haryana’s mess. Dushyant responded to Saini’s jibe about his ongoing fight with Hooda.

The BJP posted a video on August 16 with a caption “lootere” (robbers), depicting Rahul Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. A video from a public meeting of Congress MLA Mamman Khan with women dancers was shared on August 21 wit comments that the opposition party has been following the history and culture of “Antonia Maino”.