"I am not here to make you emotional, but to wipe your tears," said BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi at a rally in Jhansi on Oct 25. That was directly aimed at Congress AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who recently made an emotional speech saying, "
As for more similarities other than dressing, both shoulder the responsibility of victory of their parties in the forthcoming elections.
This happened two months before Gandhi was made the AICC vice president, the second-in-command in the party after his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi. Unlike Modi, who had to face opposition from his senior party leaders, Rahul's ascension was
While Modi was named the BJP's central poll campaign committee head in June 2013, months before that in November 2012 Rahul Gandhi was picked to head the Congress election coordination committee.
Modi is emerging a favourite among the youths for his talks focused on India's growth, Rahul claims to provide a new identity for the youth brigade.
Modi's humble growth up the ladder has got him an identity as a middle-class icon while Rahul speaks extensively of welfare of the backward class.
The BJP likes to call it 'dynasty versus meritocracy' and the Congress wants to name it as the secular versus communal fight.
Modi began as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak and gradually moved up the ranks in the BJP while Gandhi is been groomed under the patronage of the country's oldest party.
And Rahul said, "If India is computer, Congress its default program."
Both like their speeches to have a technology tinge.
Rahul is a priviledged 'prince' with the brand name of Gandhi while Modi's is a journey of struggle to the top.
While Modi, 62, has to his credit winning three assembly polls and has had administrative experience since 2001, Rahul, 42, has not held any government post since entering the Lok Sabha in 2014.
Can anyone link physics to politics. Rahul did at a dalit meet. He told them to take on BSP supremo Mayawati, who is blocking their welfare. "If you want to go to space, your velocity has to bee 11 km/sec, but for Jupiter you need 60km/sec," he said
They both think differently. How? Modi demonstrated to college students by holding up a glass of water.
At a rally in Jhansi in UP on Oct 25, Modi told the gathering: "If you give BJP even 60 months, we will change the face & fate of the nation."
Days later, Rahul reworked on the earlier poll quote in this way. And do you know how Modi reacted to it?
Already in poll mode, Rahul wanted to try a slogan and that came on September 11 at a rally in tribal-dominated Udaipur.
Modi is an acclaimed orator, Rahul is still learning the tactics of mass appeal, which he is yet to catch beyond his dimpled smile. Almost all the time, it is the Newton's theory that works between them. For every action there is an equal and
Except for their appearance-- both wear white khadi kurtas-- the contrast between the two political leaders is crystal clear. Yet, there are many commonalities that are often ignored.
Narendra Modi vs Rahul Gandhi: Not entirely a tale of contrasts