If Karpoori Thakur represents OBC and Caste elements, veteran L K Advani was the Hindu hardliner pro-Mandir protagonist. Similarly, Narasimha Rao represents Telugu lobby and Charan Singh handles the Jats and Farmers in the north.
Agri scientist M S Swaminathan is another icing vis-a-vis the farm lobby. Narendra Modi has built an electoral rainbow coalition of castes and lobbies with India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.
Nevertheless as elections in India draw nearer, PM Modi is reflecting some kind of 'over seriousness' of a good academic student. The student is sharp, preparations for examination is also well done; yet the student thinks he should visit all teachers who are set to set the Question Papers.
In case of a student, either you appreciate the seriousness or at best advise the parents not to put further pressure on the kid. But what do you do in politics?
Some analysts are thus now throwing up one-liners amounting to philosophical statement or plain googlies. One TV anchor says it appears what has to go wrong is going absolutely wrong for the Opposition, and in contrast what is to go right is going absolutely right for Modi and the BJP.
In 2019, there had been some wishful thinking that if the electorate replaced the ruling pro-Hindu party, the country's strength — its 'plurality' — would have been protected.
But the election's outcome was different.
In a historic mandate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a second term to run the world's largest democracy. Modi is the first prime minister since 1971 to return to power with an absolute majority. He is the third one to do so after the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi.
In 2014, Namo and his Moditva phenomenon want to win but want to win in a style.
Narendra Modi wants to humble others and snatch victory. He perhaps wants to humiliate Congress further. Modi wants to wrest whatever political space India's grand old party Congress has. He wants to split farmers in the north. He wants to make a big dent among provincial Telugu voters in two Deccan states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
By declining to accept defeat, he has perhaps half-won the battle. Recently in Rajya Sabha, Indian Parliament's House of Elders, Modi claimed that while his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could win 370, the alliance led by his party (BJP plus regional parties) will easily cross 400.
Here we go ! His statement makes it clear that allies in 2024 may get smaller share of the cake. In 2019, BJP had 303 and the NDA tally was 353. To start with take Maharashtra (48 seats), West Bengal (42), Bihar (40) and Uttar Pradesh (80).
These make 210 seats. The BJP hopes to do extremely well in UP and Bihar. So about 100 seats should come from these two states. Moreover, in Maharashtra and Bihar, the BJP is going to contest more seats than it contested in 2019. JD-U will readily ablige and Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) may also agree to make a compromise.
In Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh -- the BJP swept in 2019 and will be keen to repeat the performance. The saffron party wants to do well in West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana (that is to improve their tally).
Karnataka will be another interesting state to watch.
The BJP poll strategists have calculated 10.54 crore tribal voters and they feel the party will make deeper penetration in to tribal belts this time. Of course, the tribal population is substantial in three states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Then comes Jharkhand and also north eastern region. Of course the mood so far is; in north east regional parties will continue to dominate the scene they have been doing so far.
Namo pays homage to Bharat Ratnas.... sense of timing is reflection of Vintage Modi !!
Narendra Modi says:
It is a matter of immense joy that the Government of India is conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr. M S Swaminathan Ji, in recognition of his monumental contributions to our nation in agriculture and farmers’ welfare. He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernizing Indian agriculture.
We also recognise his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor and encouraging learning and research among several students. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity. He was someone I knew closely and l always valued his insights and inputs.
On P V Narasimha Rao, PM Modi says:
Delighted to share that our former Prime Minister, Shri PV Narasimha Rao Garu, will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna.
As a distinguished scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao Garu served India extensively in various capacities. He is equally remembered for the work he did as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister, and as a Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly for many years.
His visionary leadership was instrumental in making India economically advanced, laying a solid foundation for the country's prosperity and growth.
Narasimha Rao Garu’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant measures that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development.
Furthermore, his contributions to India's foreign policy, language and education sectors underscore his multifaceted legacy as a leader who not only steered India through critical transformations but also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage.
(In fact, Rao is the second Congress leader to get Bharat Ratna under Modi.
Pranab Mukherjee got it in 2019)
For Charan Singh, Modi wrote in Hindi:
हमारी सरकार का यह सौभाग्य है कि देश के पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री चौधरी चरण सिंह जी को भारत रत्न से सम्मानित किया जा रहा है। यह सम्मान देश के लिए उनके अतुलनीय योगदान को समर्पित है। उन्होंने किसानों के अधिकार और उनके कल्याण के लिए अपना पूरा जीवन समर्पित कर दिया था।
उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री रहे हों या देश के गृहमंत्री और यहां तक कि एक विधायक के रूप में भी, उन्होंने हमेशा राष्ट्र निर्माण को गति प्रदान की।
वे आपातकाल के विरोध में भी डटकर खड़े रहे। (Charan Singh also strongly opposed Emergency)
हमारे किसान भाई-बहनों के लिए उनका समर्पण भाव और इमरजेंसी के दौरान लोकतंत्र के लिए उनकी प्रतिबद्धता पूरे देश को प्रेरित करने वाली है।
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