Ahmedabad: A video showing a mini-truck, decked with Congress campaign boards, pulling out another, pasted with BJP publicity material, on a muddy roadside in Gujarat has gone viral. And jokes are flying on social media.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which claims to be "the alternative Gujarat has been waiting for", also shared it on Twitter with the comment: "Congress trying hard to save the stalled election vehicle of BJP in Gujarat." It called the video "the story of ILU-ILU of BJP and Congress in elections", referencing the song "I love you" from the 1991 movie 'Saudagar'.
Among those who commented was a user who said: "Congress means help people who are in trouble. Congress doesn't hate anybody."
Another said it's just a case of one worker helping another. The vehicle is being driven by "a daily wager who works for mere Rs 200 probably", said the user, "We don't see votes everywhere; we see humanity."
Some had theories. "The Congress-AAP experiment of contesting elections separately in Gujarat will end with the victory of the BJP. Then they will have an alliance in Haryana. But they will still lose," said one.
The AAP has been alleging that the BJP, in power for 27 consecutive years in PM Modi's home state, has just "friendly matches" with the Congress, which was in power for several terms before that.
The BJP insists there's no contest at all while the Congress, which improved its performance last time, says it's a direct contest in which the AAP will not count.
The state votes on December 1 and 5, and results will be out on December 8, along with those of Himachal Pradesh, which voted today.