"If it had been a hung or a fractured verdict then one can say that people had vented their anger against the government and that it was anti-establishment.
But by giving BJP an absolute majority they have voted for hope and trust. People have voted for hope and faith. And I will do everything to fulfill their aspirations." -- These words were stated by Narendra Modi in circa even before he became Prime Minister of India.
Namo made the remarks on May 20, 2014 after he was elected as BJP's parliamentary party leader to formally stake claim for appointment as Prime Minister of India.
Why and How these words have become relevant in circa 2026 ? One reason is even after 12 years and more; the so-called anti-incumbency as we know has not come to haunt his regime even as in 2024 he got a mild taste of the same. Nevertheless, it is a fact that he is one of the few or even rare leaders in most democracies who have survived the onslaught of public anguish after Covid19.
People of India continue to show confidence in him and his party - BJP - is on a growth graph even in provinces where it hardly mattered in terms of electoral presence. The West Bengal mandate was a classic case and this has left the opposition parties demoralised.
The 'big picture' Bengal message was people are continuing to show faith in Modi and his party. Note this what Modi had said on May 20th, 2014 - nearly a week before he became the Prime Minister.
"A new hope has arisen in the common man. This is the biggest significance of this election results (of 2014).
At the end of the day for whom is the government? It is for the poor. The new government will dedicate itself for the poor, crores and crores of youth and for the safety and security of the mothers and sisters, those in the rural areas, oppressed and the deprived."
On the other side -- things far off from real polity were working. The policies and programmes of the Modi Govt and especially implementing the Hindutva agenda have created a big crowd of anti-Modi army. They include Muslim celebrities in Mumbai.
This 'hate-Modi club' encouraged by certain foreign players and the Left-Congress ecosystem created a "movement" earlier this year.
They tried to give a necessary spin with the fault line in NEET and called it a "youth-led campaign". Now the series of protests since July is to create a 'broader platform' of resistance against Modi cutting across political, cultural, and generational lines. Rahul Gandhi has exposed the agenda too when he said the real target is not Gyanesh Kumar -- but Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
That means the real target is 'regime change' and even anarchism is acceptable.
In 2024 -- after election results - the opposition was hopeful of creating cracks in the NDA. JD-U and TDP were targeted. Then the Congress used a gentleman called Jagdeep Dhankhar, the highly ambitious Vice President of India. Nothing seemed to work.
One reason is India is not Bangladesh or Nepal.
, and the parallel should not be pushed too far. Bangladesh’s movement hardened into a one-point demand for the Awami League government’s exit only after the state responded to protests over the quota system with live fire.
Nothing comparable to Dhaka and Kathmandu has happened in New Delhi although there was provocation. In July, the Govt despite its reluctance tried to buy peace and made Dharmendra Pradhan resign.
But the opposition wanted more and rather quickly. They are nervous as the President of India has not yet 'prorogued' the monsoon session of Parliament. That means - the Session can be called with a short notice and two high volatile Delimitation and Women's quota Bills could be taken up.
India’s huge size is a factor too. In simple words - there is no single pressure point. Secondly, the Home Ministry and Delhi police have acted smart by disallowing any crowd gathering in Jantar Mantar - a venue which was too close to Indian Parliament for creating any major problems. This was the reason the July protests went out of hands.
In October, the Modi Govt is appearing more prepared. And at the same time, the Congress and opposition parties by their over confidence and 'mishandling' of issues have created problems for themselves.
Rahul Gandhi's move of seeking a personal interaction with CJI Surya Kant has made them file petitions. By design or utter callousness, Rahul's own papers submitted to the Supreme Court had 14 lacuna. Mallikarjun Kharge's photo copy of I-card had an issue and even 'vakalatnamas' were an issue with many opposition leaders.
Moreover, by going to the court for a judicial redressal they will have to accept the court mandate.
There is another political reason. The BJP also governs in many states across India and hence turmoil in one or even a few cities will not be able to unleash a complete halt to administrative machineries.
Moreover, the opposition protest mechanism often appears comical. A chief minister D K Shivkumar participated in protest in Delhi (look for the video wherein Rahul is seen elbowing him) -- his police arrested anti-SIR protesters in Karnataka.
In AAP-ruled Punjab, there was appreciation for the process of SIR and in Kerala --- present chief minister had said the SIR exercise was good and it helped Congress score victory against the communists.
Now, paradoxically - the Left, Congress and other parties including AAP have joined hands saying SIR process should be halted and Gyanesh Kumar must resign.
Hence, elements of being 'convinced' by the protesters are lacking.
There is talk about 'outside influences'. This has discredited the opposition parties. Being in opposition cannot be a virtue or an excuse to evade accountability. The Congress ill-intent lay exposed in the tweet against chief justice of India and the manner it was claimed that Congress party can easily find his replacement.
This sense of entitlement has made Congress arrogant. But the predicament on how to handle BJP on one hand and the Congress (directionless politics) on the other hand has made rest of the opposition parties appear like headless chicken.
The idiom "to run around like a headless chicken" means to act in a frantic, panicked, disorganized, or inefficient way—doing a lot of things rapidly without a clear plan or useful result.
Do I have to define the Congress party yet again ?
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