The complexities of the voters' mind is best described in the phrase 'wheels within wheels'. An estimated 50 per cent of Hindus are already voting for the BJP... yet it seems there was no Ram Leher during elections and voting.
Nevertheless, people thought Narendra Modi is a well deserved important leader and yet there are Hindu social groups who do not buy the saffron outfit's political line and ideology !!
At the same time, it is difficult to find non-Hindus especially Muslims and Christians at the mass level who would vote for Modi 'voluntarily'. In discussing this, I will say Christians have been doing a mistake by not showing trust in Modi and most of them are guided by the 'hatred' venom spread by church, foreign money and other influencers.
In the process, an overwhelming section of Christians are also getting isolated from 'mainstream Hindu brothers and sisters' and the ghetosisation is likely to haunt people on ground. Prashant Kishor says two-third of 50 per cent of Hindus who vote for Namo or the BJP are influenced by the Lotus party's Hindutva line of politics.
But 'more consolidation' of Hindus in favour of BJP may not come so easily and so fast !!
Thus we are left Hindu communists -- who will continue to hate Modi and the BJP.
** There are Ambedkarites -- especially Dalits in states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh -- who may not vote for BJP even for a next decade or so.
*** A section of radical followers of Gandhi ji and for that matter the Nehru-Gandhi version of 'secular/sickular/ecosystem' polity will also not vote for the saffron party.
**
A large number of socialists -- followers of Lohia and JP - especially in states such as Uttar Pradesh will also not vote for the BJP.
Then comes some state groups or liguistic groups such as Tamils and Keralites or Mallus and Mallayalis !!
For a considerable period, there was a large section of Bengalis (Hindus) who would not vote for the BJP... But now they are changed and it started with Tripura.
In West Bengal also -- the BJP is now gaining ground and the traditional thinking that Bengali mind is anti-Lotus party and pro-Left is no longer true.
There is another fact/anecdote in this; and it is true that this 'change' in Bengali mindset vis-a-vis the BJP started from Tripura in 2018.
Congress manifesto !! Why and how it figured more in political discourse and paradoxically how it helped BJP ?
If Congress manifesto became a target after party claimed a new BJP govt would target the Constitution, the Insta reels from the saffron camp comprised videos of Modi directly addressing 'select people' at his rallies.
Modi also engaged himself in 'small meetings' with BJP's Rajya Sabha MPs, plus those who could not get Lok Sabha tickets for the battle of 2024.
Sample this:
“The Congress of today is completely disconnected from the nation’s hopes and aspirations… Its manifesto has the stamp of the then Muslim League. And what little remained in this Muslim League manifesto has been captured by Communists," Modi said in UP’s Saharanpur rally.
"One cannot spot the Congress at all in this (manifesto). Today’s Congress can’t take India forward in the 21st century,” he added.
On April 6, which happens to be the BJP’s foundation day, and a day after the Congress released its manifesto, PM Modi said in Ajmer:
-“Yesterday, the Congress party issued a bundle of lies. This is going to expose the truth of the Congress.
"Aap dekhiye, har panne par Bharat ke tukde karne ki boo aa rahi hai. Congress ke ghoshnapatra main wahi soch jhalakti hai jo soch azaadi ke samay Muslim League mein thi. Muslim League ke uss samay ke vicharon ko Congress aaj Bharat par thopna chahti hai
(Every page reeks of breaking India into pieces. The Congress manifesto reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League at the time of Independence. Congress wants to impose those ideas on India today).”
These debates and repeated references to Congress party's manifesto by a rival party stalwart is something new.
On April 26, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Congress manifesto promises to give Muslims a free hand in cow slaughter across the country.
Addressing a rally in UP’s Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency, he said,
“Inn besharmon ko dekho, ye kaise Bharat ki aastha ke saath khilwad kar rahe hain.
Jis gai ko hum mata kehte hain aur puja karte hain, usey ye kasaiyon ko denge katne ke liye. Kya Hindustan isey sweekar karega
(See how these shameless people are trying to play with the religious sentiments of the people of Bharat. They will hand over the cow, which we worship and treat like mother, to butchers for slaughter. Will India accept this)?” He also claimed that besides promising inheritance tax, the Congress has added cow slaughter to its manifesto.
ends
"The biggest failure of India's opposition parties in the last 10 years is that they could not pose a formidable competition to Narendra Modi in Varanasi. They could not prepare one among themselves or even a celebrity to take on Narendra Modi" - Christine Robinson.
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