Strange bedfellows

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, goes the adage. A somewhat similar situation is playing out in the political landscape of Delhi, where elections are slated to be held on February 7. With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerging as the main rival for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the latter is going soft on its traditional rival, the Congress. There are rumours that the BJP is helping the Congress in many seats at the local level, as a weakened Congress would spell trouble for the saffron party if anti-BJP votes shift to AAP. If minorities vote for the AAP en bloc, it might upset the BJP's poll calculations. Some BJP leaders said their workers had participated in good numbers in Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's roadshows. On Wednesday, BJP workers were seen waving at Gandhi from their party office when a Congress procession passed through the congested stretch of Pahari Dhiraj in central Delhi. Some people wearing BJP caps even joined the procession.