Bengaluru: Less than a month from now, Maharashtra and Haryana will go to polls. This being the first elections after Lok Sabha 2019, it will be a test for Prime Minister Modi’s popularity and Congress’s revival tactics. 

Well, as many would have imagined, the BJP and Prime Minister Modi would obviously play the abrogation of Articles 35A and 370 card. And the Congress? Well, it would try to expose the BJP’s alleged mishandling of Indian economy. 

Indeed, the battle lines are drawn. 

In his Howdy Modi speech in Houston, Texas last Sunday, PM Modi emphatically advertised the abrogation of the articles to draw the attention of the Indian expats. More than that, his intention would also be to drum up support back in India, with the two states going for polls. 

Even national president Amit Shah, is betting his money on the abrogation. 

BJP is launching the Jan Jagran Abhiyan in support of Articles 370 and 35A. What’s interesting to note is that 370 small indoor meetings and 35 big meetings are planned across the country. Jammu and Kashmir will also host six such meetings. 

Amit Shah has been very vocal about the abrogation, trying to garner as much support as possible. 

He had once said, “The abrogation is a big milestone for the unity and integrity of India. We had been saying that Kashmir was an integral part of India. But Article 370 was giving a message that something was incomplete.” 

On the other hand, the Congress is trying to expose the economic maladministration of the BJP. It has already planned a number of programmes to highlight the alleged economic mess India is in and plans to hold massive agitations across the country from October 15 to 25. 

Both AICC president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi have been vocal about the economic slump. A day before the Howdy Modi event, Rahul had tweeted, mocking Modi for his alleged mishandling of Indian economy while Sonia Gandhi too has criticised the Modi government on the same issue.