(Image source from: How contesting from Varanasi would doom Kejriwal?})

Arvind Kejriwal was tactically brilliant in going after BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Varanasi. The press and media lauded his tenacity even as the opponent parties snubbed him for his audacity, but Mr. Kejriwal was resolved.

That said, in a small town like Varanasi, embedded with a small town conservatism, the Aam Aadmi Party literally has no presence. So it's possible that despite putting up a tough fight, Arvind Kejriwal will lose against Modi. At the same time, it's being assumed that he will end up second on that seat, which is remarkable given how electorates in Uttar Pradesh’s population had been voting along caste or religious lines all this long.

To muscle out Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party from the race will be no mean feat for both the parties.

Nevertheless, Kejriwal made a strategic mistake in not contesting from in and around Delhi, where his party has a clout. He could have  very well contested from Delhi as well as Varanasi, but he didn't an for reasons best known to him.

Had he contested from Delhi, he wouldn't have drawn as much press as he is doing now, but he would certainly have won. And this would have made him one of the most important elements in the new Lok Sabha.

Thanks to his vocal and aggressive style, the AAP would have made a great opposition party in the Parliament, more so because the Congress is totally depleted of good speakers as all of its three senior members - Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee and Chidambaram -  have stepped down fom contesting for the elections. Other senior ministers are also too afraid to fight. This will give the BJP, particularly if it wins 200 seats or more, total dominance over the Lok Sabha.

Very few can dare to stand up to Modi in Parliament and Kejriwal could have been the right man for the role. Kejriwal has a street-fighting air about himself  which would have made Modi wary of him.

When Kejriwal toured Gujarat a few weeks ago, he racked up a list of claims to which Modi did not respond. The list included allegations on the fabled Gujarat Model. The Gujarat government came down hard on him but Modi remained tight-lipped.

Someone like Kejriwal who is persistent and has more tenacity and credibility than the Gandhis, Modi will always stay away from. Modi is most at home attacking soft targets like Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress matriarch in particular is very polite, but Modi is not. Over the years, he has shown contempt for the legislature, opting to work  with the bureaucracy instead. But he won't be able to do the same in Delhi, where legislation will be more important than 'governance'.

Modi will need to slog at the Lok Sabha and robust engagement with him on his ideas is vital. With Kejriwal unlikely to be there to challenge his ideas, the opposition will have a tough time dealing with Modi.

AW:Suchorita Choudhury