People assume Narendra Modi loves to talk but after spending almost 30 minutes with the Prime Minister earlier this August, this writer discovered that Modi actually loves to listen. Honest ground feedback gets him engrossed, his mind is razor-sharp at 74 to catch the key inputs, and his wealth of experience of India shows in his words that invariably carry a cue for his future moves.
How does one politically take on such a man who has mass appeal across the country, especially the heartland, is a communicator par excellence with direct connect to people, and carries nationalism and Hindutva on his sleeve along with a liberal dose of welfarism that has created a new voter base of ‘labarthis’ (beneficiaries)? This is the biggest question that the INDIA group of opposition parties face as Modi aims for a historic third consecutive term in office in 2024 with full majority and join the legacy of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
“Desh Modi ji Ke Haath Mein Safe Hai” — is the refrain one heard from voters in the heartland this year as the BJP registered big wins in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, busting the narrative that the ‘Modi factor’ had weakened in swinging state elections after the Karnataka loss. The surgical strikes and the air strikes in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) may have taken place some years ago but the memory remains fresh amongst voters who compare it to India’s tepid response under the UPA after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. “Ghar mein Ghus Ke Marenge” slogan from the Modi-led BJP still rings like magic amongst the voters.
Besides the election victories, another boost for Modi in 2023 came with the Supreme Court giving a thumbs up to his biggest move besides the surgical strikes — Abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The government had taken the bold move soon after winning its second term in 2019 and can take credit that J&K has been transformed since with a record number of tourists and development, with violence figures hitting a rock bottom.
With the Lok Sabha elections scheduled in 2024, those close to PM Modi feel he has outdone in terms of gains in J&K under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, which had tried to resolve the issue. Another key landmark in Modi’s life will be him inaugurating the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024 after he did the temple’s ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ three years ago.
India’s economic recovery in 2023 by becoming the fastest-growing economy in the post-Covid world, and the successful G20 presidency as well as a nuanced stand on the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine conflict has firmly placed Modi as a world leader to reckon with and one having a vision for his country as well as the world. Modi’s state visit to the US this year was another landmark event in his growth as a world leader with US President Joe Biden acknowledging his popularity and later playing a key role while visiting India to help Modi achieve a diplomatic coup in form of a “joint declaration” at the G20 Summit.
ISRO’s Chandrayaan success added further to India’s positive story under Modi. He has also shown the knack for course correction to cut the party’s losses and not be shy to take a step back — such as reducing LPG cylinder prices this year after realising it was costing BJP electorally or withdrawing the three farm laws after protests from Punjab.
A senior INDIA leader claimed to this writer in Parliament last week that Modi’s popularity is not the same anymore as in 2014 or 2019 post the Pulwama attack, and predicted that “Modi will not become the Prime Minister again”. But not many in the INDIA alliance share such optimism in private conversations. Those close to Modi say there is no stopping him in 2024 and predict a bigger victory than even in 2019 when BJP on its own crossed the 300-seat mark.
“The country is not ready for any other leader right now. The opposition does have anyone even close to Modi’s stature. ‘Modi Vs Who’ is a no-contest. Those in the INDIA front who are imagining that Modi can be defeated with a seat-sharing strategy will get a bigger shock in 2024. This will be one Lok Sabha election whose result is already known to one and all,” a senior minister in the government told this writer.
The PM himself has thrown the challenge to the INDIA front by saying from an open stage this month that his hat-trick as the PM is “guaranteed”. Modi has brought back the corruption plank against the Congress, which he had used effectively in 2014 to beat the UPA and retire Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister. Modi’s pitch is simple — this is not a remote-controlled government and he is the captain of the ship whom the people should trust to steer the country out of any trouble, be it Covid-19 pandemic or Pakistan-sponsored terror. Also, this is the government under which the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has become a reality — Modi has proclaimed. So far, people do not seem to be buying any other political narrative.
The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will prove and show if “Bharat Ke Mann Mein (Abhi Bhi) Modi Hai”.
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