Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (left) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. TOI file photo.

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP ) registered an emphatic win in the recently-concluded Delhi assembly election.

AAP won 62 of the 70 seats because of several factors which included Kejriwal’s model of development (free or subsidised electricity, water, health, education and commuting) and his image makeover.

However, Arvind Kejriwal also won because he took a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s politics to defeat the latter’s party - BJP.

Kejriwal has deftly used the personal attacks on him to his advantage just as PM Modi has been doing ever since he became Gujarat chief minister.

For instance, when Congress leader called Narendra Modi a “chaiwala” ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the comment was used to launch a series of nationwide programmes called ‘Chai pe charcha’.

Also, when former Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked PM Modi with “Chowkidar chor hai’ jibe ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the latter prefixed his name on his Twitter handle with ‘Chowkidar’. He was followed by most of the Union ministers BJP leaders doing the same.

Similarly when Arvind Kejriwal was called a “terrorist” by BJP MP Parvesh Verma, the former turned the tables on BJP. During his campaign, he asked the crowds whether he was a terrorist to a resounding reply of “no”.

Kejriwal also sought to strike an emotional chord with the voters by narrating that when he went home on the day he was called a terrorist, his parents were upset. But they said Kejriwal was a “pakka deshbhakt” (true patriot). This was greeted with loud cheers from the crowds.

Narendra Modi is known to play the religious cards off and on and also during elections. For example, just a day before the last phase of voting for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he visited Kedarnath and, dressed as a hermit, spent the night in a cave.

In the last week before the Delhi assembly election, Kejriwal took a cue from Modi and said he was a devout Hindu and a Hanuman bhakt. He even sang Hanuman Chalisa.

A day before voting, Kejriwal visited a Hanuman Temple in New Delhi along with his family members and offered prayers amidst full media glare. On voting day, he sported tilak on his forehead. These were the religious symbolisms of Kejriwal similar to those of Modi.

Narendra Modi gives a personal touch to his campaigns. On the voting days, be it the 2014 and 2015 Lok Sabha or 2017 Gujarat assembly elections, Modi was seen touching his mother’s feet before he went out for casting his vote.

Similarly, Arvind Kejriwal touched the feet of his parents before he left for voting on February 8.

Whenever Narendra Modi is attacked by his opponents, he makes it a fight between the voters versus the opponents.

When he was the Gujarat chief minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleged that he was a “maut ka saudagar” (merchant of death). Modi made it a case of “Gujarati asmita” (Gujarati prestige). He asked “6 crore Gujaratis” to reply to Sonia Gandhi’s allegation. Modi was elected CM election after election in 2002, 2007 and 2012 before he became the PM in 2014.

After the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF convoy, India launched the Balakot air strike on Pakistan terror launch pads. Some opposition leaders proof of the air strike.

Replying to them, Modi said “130 crore Indians were a proof”.

In the same manner, Arvind Kejriwal made the personal attack on him by the BJP leaders as a contest between “2 crore Delhi residents” and the BJP.

He exhorted the Delhi residents to give a resounding reply to BJP.

