A straw poll will tell the grim lie. So, the Bharatiya Janata Party had to come out with a second manifesto for the February 5 Delhi polls because the BJP itself was in doubt whether voters would trust the BJP to deliver on its poll-promises!

Trump voters, who are all for Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ movement, never worry Trump will not keep his word. For all his perceived faults, President Trump is an honest bloke whose word is gospel.

Prime Minister Modi, on the other hand, is kind of loose in making poll promises but notoriously ‘tight’ in keeping them. Which is one of the reasons why Modi and the BJP were halted at 240 in Lok Sabha 2024! Modi’s diehard supporters ditched the BJP.

On the other hand, President Donald Trump doesn’t shy away from taking tough decisions. Trump's slew of executive orders, within hours of his inauguration, speaks for him; he didn’t wait for the cold inclement weather outside the 'Rotunda' to improve to roll out the executive orders, starting with declaring a "national emergency at the southern border."

As promised, President Trump rolled out his promised executive orders even before the snow started melting on the sidewalks of the capital Washington DC. Trump pushed them past an array of former ‘Presidents’ including President Joe Biden, Prez Obama, Prez Clinton and President George Bush.

Trump didn’t care; Trump couldn’t keep his constituency waiting. Compare that with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and people understand why it's captioned 'Snail’s pace'? There are 'Modi-bhakts' who are saying Modi will now get a free hand to do what needs to be done.

All because Modi's pal Trump is in the White House! Isn’t that a telling statement that Modi needs a Trump in the White House to deliver that which he had promised to the people of India? Prez Trump's executive orders brought him closer to Americans, is Modi getting closer to the Indian voters?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s haul of 240 Lok Sabha seats in Lok Sabha polls 2024 was a pathetic count of his lack of accountability. On top of that, ‘Modi-bhakts’ always found an excuse for Modi to go scot-free. The incredible thing is America’s mainstream media couldn’t wait to lynch Trump but India’s mainstream media strives to present Modi as the linchpin!

The BJP has made several poll promises to the people of Delhi after 25 years in electoral wilderness. The first manifesto made a pitch for women voters but the confidence was missing; so BJP candidates started distributing footwear and warm clothes.

In the United States, voters don’t get gifts to vote, people vote of their free will and line up in orderly queues. The United States has a ‘pada-likha’ democracy while India has to make-do with an ‘unpadh’ democracy.

American politicians do not talk fast and loose and empty promises. The BJP’s second Delhi manifesto promises free "KG to PG” education in government institutes. Youth will get a one-time financial package of Rs 15,000 each to prepare for competitive examinations.

The BJP’s first manifesto had promised women voters Rs 2,500 monthly ‘bribe’, Rs 21,000 to women who are pregnant, LPG cylinder at Rs 500 and Rs 2,500 pension for senior citizens. The BJP calls its manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra’ and there are two of them now.

Will the Delhi electorate trust the BJP to deliver on the promises made? Going by the record, perhaps no, perhaps never. So many of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s poll-eve promises have fallen flat that it doesn't matter anymore. JP Nadda’s promise that a BJP-led government will deliver has little value.

No wonder, there is a growing demand for bringing in the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign for BJP candidates in Delhi. Reports say Yogi Adityanath will be arriving in Delhi on January 23 and will address 14 rallies in the national capital.

As February 5 gets closer and closer, there is a clamour for playing the ‘Hindu Card’; therefore, the call to make use of the ‘Yogi Card’. Delhi is encircled by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana and these are states where Hindutva got the most traction; there is no way Delhi remains unaffected. In fact, Yogi Adityanath's ‘Batenge toh katenge’ posters have come up in several Delhi assembly constituencies. (IPA Service)