'Undercurrent in Modi's favour motivated by anger against

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Feb 10 2014 | 8:33 PM IST
Buoyed by big turnouts at Narendra Modi's recent rallies in north-east and south, BJP today claimed there was an "undercurrent" in his favour motivated by anger against the status-quo, and said the party should aim at converting this support into seats.
Claiming that such "mammoth" crowds do not appear out of thin air, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said BJP should now try and encash on support for Modi by turning the upcoming Lok Sabha polls into a referendum on Modi.
"Obviously such mammoth crowds do not appear out of thin air. They indicate a strong undercurrent. It is an undercurrent, which is motivated both by anger and also with hope. The people are angry with the status quo. They want a change. Modi signifies that change and the hope that the change will be for the better.
"The political support behind Modi now needs to convert this election into a referendum on Modi. If he manages to do so, this undercurrent will translate into seats," he said in an article.
Support of various sections for Modi in north-east and south, where his rallies attracted big crowd, is larger than the parties' own strength there, he said, and wondered, "Are we in for a pleasant surprise in these regions?"
He said Modi's rallies that attracted "unprecedented" public support was irrespective of a divide on any lines and is a result of the current mood of disillusionment with Congress.
"For Modi to draw an unprecedented crowd itself is an indicator of the current mood," he said.
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First Published: Feb 10 2014 | 8:33 PM IST

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