Of course 2024 big battle is a setback for Narendra Modi. The man is Prime Minister for last 10 years and in public office for the last 23 years. His journey in Gujarat too was not a fluke... and later his flight to Delhi came the hard way !!
In 2014 - when he became Prime Minister-in-waiting the general refrain was he would stop around 250 marks for the BJP. Grapevine is even Nitin Gadkari's Brahmin lobby and Rajnath Singh's own mentors expected their turn will come.
Even Late Sushma Swaraj harbored an ambition and she declined to take the flight to Gandhinagar after the polls were over. Yet she was made the External Affairs Minister -- and something she handled well especially the Twitter front.
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| 2007 ::: Hindustan Times report after Namo win in Gujarat |
In 2019 elections, he was called Chowkidar Chor hae. But he survived in style and won with an enhanced mandate. Modi in 2024 did not anticipate the fall in numbers.
From 303 -- the party tally came down to 240 and with NDA -- 293. The setback in Uttar Pradesh was shocking eve for pollsters.
"Despite the fact that the BJP fell short of their lofty goals, Modi insisted this was still a victory and that voters “placed their faith” in his alliance. A third term is something most leaders would brag about, but Modi’s overconfidence has left the party feeling as if they lost," says London-based 'The Guardian'.
We will examine Modi's hits and misses and other data a little later. The communists debacle was near complete in India this year.
'The LDF debacle down south shows voters switching to BJP, erosion in strongholds' -- says 'Times of India'
The article also says: "The 2004 results in constituencies such as Alappuzha and Attingal show that the voting of a major section of Ezhava constituency - considered the backbone of the party - in favour of BJP affected the prospects of LDF candidates".
The communist lost in Tripura and in West Bengal also the score sheet was zero. Leftists could not open account in 2019 and also in 2021 assembly polls in West Bengal -- where they ruled with goondaism, minority appeasement, anti-industry protests and election rigging for 35 years.
In Kerala, the Left could win only one.
Look another state - Odisha -- Naveen Patnaik had achieved larger than life image. Perhaps even an enhanced position than his illustrious father Biju Patnak. But this year, he has been voted out as the Chief Minister.
And in parliamentary elections, there was saffron surge with Modi's BJP winning 20 out of 21 seats. And the solitary remaining went to Congress. BJD score sheet was zero.
'Times of India' edit sums up Naveen's painful story better:
"Naveen's government was also facing considerable anti-incumbency. True, under his administration Odisha has witnessed substantial growth and the establishment of a credible welfare system.
These saw poverty in the state fall from 57.6 per cent in 200-05 to 32.9 per cent in 2011-12.....But after 24 years, voters wanted more -- especially jobs".
The story of 2024 election is too big to dismiss it as Namo's 'loss' and dynasty's win.
One important point/message for the Left parties is that association with the Congress for long has only hit them most. While Rahul got a toehold in 2019 in Wayanad....the BJP's vote share increased and the saffron party won one seat; the communists vote share has nosedived.
Wake up Comrade !!
Modi relied heavily on Hindu nationalist rhetoric but it was not enough to distract from the economic reality facing many Indian voters.
Youth unemployment is high, despite young people becoming more educated than ever before.
“There are millions of people with undergraduate and masters degrees who are forced to go back into agriculture as there are no quality jobs available for them,” journalist Hannah quoted in 'The Guardian'.
Wages have remained stagnant since Modi has been in power, while inflation has increased the cost of basic goods. “He tried to blame the previous government for the problems, but after 10 years people are holding him accountable for the fact that their lives are not getting better,” Hannah says.
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