India election: political rivals’ barbs over ties to tycoons spotlight growing income inequality, rich-poor divide

Observers say the trading of barbs between political rivals has spilled over from ties to big businesses to income inequality and the country’s rich-poor divide – issues that will weigh heavily on the ballot.

“Overnight, you have stopped abusing Adani and Ambani. There is definitely something fishy,” Modi told a rally in the southern Indian state of Telangana earlier this month. “The shehzada [prince] should declare how much money he has taken from Ambani-Adani.”

Have “tempo [cargo vehicles] with loads of notes [money] reached the Congress?” he asked.

The prime minister’s charge brought a sharp riposte from Gandhi in an election rally about Modi refusing to join him in a debate.

“If he comes, the first question that I will ask him is Narendra Modi, please tell me what is your relationship with Adani. You have given them ports, airports, other infrastructure and the defence industry,” he said. “He will get trapped there and then.”

The topic of the industrialists’ wealth and the tremendous power they wield in the country has been brought up time and again, and in the previous election in 2019 Congress launched a campaign with the slogan Chowkidar Chor Hai (The Gatekeeper is the Thief).

The campaign bombed after gaining initial support from voters, which is probably why Congress has dwelled more on the theme of income inequality this election, according to Uday Chandra, an assistant professor of government at Georgetown University.

Chandra said Congress had made a subtle shift to focus on welfare programmes this time round rather than harp on the industrialists’ wealth. “Income inequality may not directly impact [people], but it will do so in terms of grievances and demands of disparate groups,” he said.

If voted to power, Gandhi