Page 12 - Tehelka Issue 13 - July 15, 2018

creation of private jobs has been a claiming that electricity was distrib- rat elections in 2014, ‘justice should
failure of the government which got uted during Eid and not Diwali, by not only be done but should be
reflected in the widespread violence alleging that laptops were distrib- seen to be done’. So development in
for the reservation policy across In- uted on the basis of religion, by sug- politics should essentially be seem
dia, from Haryana to Karnataka. In gesting that Muslims were thrown to be done and to show that Modi
Gujarat the whole Patel issue was out by Hindu villagers, by talking of has planned to make 400 railway
basically a jobs issue, articulating forced migration from western UP stations of India look dazzling new
itself as a reservation issue.’ or suggesting the image of a Mus- making development visible.
The problem that this govern- lim as a cow slaughterer, the larger As for Ayodhya, Modi is not do-
ment is facing is that there have objective being constructing that ing much. There’s just symbolism
been job losses. It’s not a failure of vote for unifying Hindu society around it. The court’s verdict by
generating jobs but the failure of a through caste lines. 2019 and bringing Modi in elections
policy that has triggered job losses However, the 2009 elections will polarize the electorate (like in
across industries which has affected were very interesting. Six months UP elections 2012). So it will be naive
not just the upper middle class and before the election, 26/11 happened. to underestimate the ability of Modi
the middle class professionals in the Advani fought the election on the to come up with something new to-
job market but the labor too. But it is issue of national security, the face morrow morning by 2019.
more likely that they will try to take of the election was Afzal guru, the Also, they have burdened the
away the narrative from jobs and Muslim that the Congress was not country with schemes. Every min-
talk more about social engineering hanging because of its Muslim lean- istry has new schemes or reinven-
and some other issues. Its only if the ings and yet the BJP lost very badly. tion of old schemes so now they
opposition rakes it up properly in So even though Hindutva matters to will just be narrowing down to 4-5
2019. But nothing can trump how a lot of Hindu voters, with its appeal big ticket items which will resonate
much money does one get at the and charisma, nationalism equally with the electorate like Ujjwala did
end of the day in his pocket. If sud- touches the chord. in UP, which is what power will do.
denly we have an inflation in 2019, They will focus on them, on social
nothing can save BJP. Modi’s strategy engineering of OBC’s to win all the 3
Modi is expanding his base. BJP is big elections by the year end in MP,
Consolidation factor out to appeal the larger demograph- Rajasthan and Chattisgarh.
Electorally, the BJP may sharpen ics of poor voter of India. In demon- What BJP will do nobody knows
the rhetoric with new narratives etization Modi has totally copied but political pundits say what they
that this is a Hindu country with a the ‘Garibi hatao’ of Congress. The will surely do is put lot of opposi-
pretence of victimhood, that Hin- schemes have never resulted in tion leaders in jail on corruption
dus have not got their fair share votes. Bajpai’s golden quadrilateral, charges which has seen Lalu Yadav
and others have only pandered to Akhilesh’s Agra Expressway did not behind bars, 2018 should see some
the minority which is seen through translate in votes and Modi really big arrests like Robert Vadra, lots of
Babri masjid, love jihad, through understands this. As he said in Guja- litigations, cases, for the purpose of
scaring them down or making them
sit down highlighting the contrast
with raids, corruption cases and the
arrests that will follow. It has started
with former Finance minister and
Congress stalwart Chidambaram.
This for the larger consumption that
even though Modi was not able to
deliver at least he was not corrupt.
Modi’s plan A was economy
which has bombed due to demon-
etization and GST shocks. The plan
B is going to be Hindutva which
we already witnessed in Karnataka
and are likely tosee in other poll
bound states

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