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May 23: Suspense continues

for the saffron party

Drastic measures like demonetization and improper implementation of the GST are
Hard likely to prove instrumental in adding to the people’s socio-economic woes, paving way
LIne for the growing disenchantment of the masses with Modi government
ith the final outcome of the January this year did unnerve the BJP, though
Anil Singh hustings for the Lok Sabha it didn’t show any sign of embarrassment.
to be announced on May 23, Until the closing part of the second week
all available indicators at this of February this year, most of the pre-poll
The columnist is W juncture point out that the surveys predicted declining curves of the BJP
Executive Editor of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is very unlikely prospects in the ensuing general elections.
News24 news to repeat its 2014 performance owing to its
channel. The views failure to deliver on its promises, especially on National security
here expressed are the eradicating black money, creating 20 million However, the terrorist violence in Pulwama
author’s own jobs annually, addressing farmers’ distress, where over 40 CRPF jawans were martyred
building Ram Temple etc. on February 14 and subsequent airstrike by
On the other hand, drastic measures like Indian Air Force inside Pakistan at Balakot
demonetization and improper implementa- on 26 February followed by the release by Pa-
tion of the GST proved instrumental in adding kistan of the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan
to the people’s socio-economic woes paving Varthaman proved instrumental in chang-
way for the growing disenchantment of the ing the national narrative from basic issues
masses with the Modi government and the like unemployment, agrarian crisis and the
people reflected their angst by voting against alleged Rafale scam.to terrorism and national
the BJP in the three major states of the Hindi security as key issues, thereby providing the
Heartland – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh BJP an edge over its rivals in the popularity
and Rajasthan in December 2018. graph.
At this juncture, many critics opined that
Towards decline it was too simplistic to say that Pulwama and
Ouster of the BJP-led government in three Balakot had guaranteed PM Modi a sec-
major states in the Hindi Heartland culmi- ond term in office. However, in the wake of
nated in the emergence of an array of pre-poll Pulwama and Balakot fading from the public
surveys in January this year predicting inabil- memory and the persistent standoff between
ity of the BJP to garner enough numbers of India and Pakistan ending in an embarrass-
The saffron party its own to retain power at the Centre. Adding ment for India, some analysts opined that
to the bilked BJP’s woefulness has been the
this could harm PM Modi in the upcoming
may emerge as flurry of hectic activity by the non-BJP politi- elections. With the announcement of polling
the single largest cal parties to foster alliances with regional dates and coming into effect of the model
election code, electoral campaigning has got
satraps.
party and it will Undoubtedly, efforts for Opposition unity a fillip and not-so-large public attendance in
have to elicit the had started gathering momentum in the PM Modi’s rallies has been worrisome for the
aftermath of the installation of the govern-
BJP.
support of other ment in Karnataka led by an alliance of JD (S) The BJP’s hopes of reaping electoral
regional parties and Congress in May 2018; nevertheless, the dividends in the wake of nationalistic fervid-
ness stemming from Pulwama and Balakot
BJP seldom seemed to be worried about this
to be enthroned. development. that had started becoming diluent received
Coming together of the SP and BSP in UP
There is also a and efforts undertaken by West Bengal chief further jolt when the Congress president
Rahul Gandhi promised to implement NYAY
possibility of a minister Mamta Banerjee in bringing non-BJP scheme. According to one critic, PM Modi
perhaps understood that the Congress was
political parties together and her hosting of
split in the BJP well-attended Opposition rally in Kolkata in beginning to seize the initiative by forcing

tehelka / 30 april 2019 32 www.tehelka.com