Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarians this week that the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance (UPA) changing colour and giving itself a new acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) would not cut ice with people. He pointed out that many anti-India organisations have tried to have the word ‘India’ in their nomenclature. While trying to put things in perspective, Prime Minister Modi told them on Tuesday that the even the Popular Front of India (PFI), banned under the UAPA Act for unlawful association, and the ‘Indian Mujahideen’, the Islamist terrorist group that has perpetrated terrorism in India have ‘India’ in their name. Likewise, the Indian National Congress and the East India Company also had India in their name but these did not increase their acceptability or enhance their credibility.
Many people would thank the prime minister for doing this since the ‘INDIA’ acronym was creating confusion. Many people were shocked when the UPA was renamed INDIA. This is because it would be a very bad situation for an average Indian to see headlines in newspapers after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls that the NDA has defeated INDIA. No person worth any patriotism would name an alliance as such because India should always win. Will this headline make the Opposition leaders happy? People should seriously question the wisdom of trying to acquire this acronym. For trying to defeat Narendra Modi, they can go to any extent, even risk the pride of India. The support of patriots is earned through hard work to elevate the country and not by indulging in political chicanery. Modi, as he always does, has punctured the dubious design of frustrated politicians to try to dupe people.
By keeping the name INDIA, you do not gain credibility. The question is: Can the leopard change its spots? Rahul Gandhi can claim “We are INDIA” but how will he transform his sins into virtues and repackage them as reasons for fetching votes?
The first issue that cropped in mind when the UPA was renamed was why to rename the alliance none of the partners had any problems with. Does this mean that the Congress too believes, like many in the country, that the UPA had got defamed beyond redemption? The scams, corruption and inefficiency that defined the UPA government (2004 to 2014) and brought the people onto the streets cannot be washed away. This was a complete no-confidence on the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, who was the chairperson of the UPA and Manmohan Singh, who was the Prime Minister for full two terms. The 2014 victory of Narendra Modi was no fluke but a vote for hope.
Let us look at the people who are in the alliance. Rahul Gandhi, who is calling the shots, is out on bail in the National Herald fraud case. He has been disqualified from his membership of Parliament after a conviction by a court in a defamation case where he insulted an entire community. Most of the alliance partners of the UPA are involved in corruption cases or are dynasts. They have ruled the roost over India’s political landscape and are desperate to pass on the mantle to their sons and daughters. The biggest stumbling block is Narendra Modi who does not favour the corrupt and the dynasts. These blocs in the alliance know that if they fail this time as well, India will rewrite a new history where democracy will thrive in the true sense of the term.
The new alliance, which calls itself secular and inclusive, has Shiv Sena as a partner. Whoever is opposed to Modi is secular and would get entry into the alliance. Such negativity lulls the senses to think logically. They are thinking of mathematics and vote share calculations to imagine a Modi defeat. Much water has flown since the decisive Modi victory in 2019 despite not getting over 50 percent votes. The talks about percentage vote calculations would go for a toss since the BJP has set a target of winning 350 plus seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
PM Modi’s succour to the poor and efforts to increase India’s participation in the world order has turned more people into his supporters. His popularity is at an all-time high. The World of Statistics for the month of July 2023 has rated Narendra Modi the most popular leader in the world with a rating of 78 percent. US President Joe Biden is at 40 percent and Rishi Sunak of the UK is at 30 percent.
How would one contest against such a popular leader? The only thing new in the alliance is the acronym INDIA which appears forced and does not indicate a natural flow. The prime minister has already punctured their enthusiasm the way he has done on earlier occasions too. When Rahul Gandhi coined the slogan ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ on the eve of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, after making frivolous allegations against the government on the Rafale deal, Modi checkmated the campaign with his coinage ‘Mai Bhai Chowkidar’ which millions of people displayed on their social media profile.
As aptly put by Prime Minister Modi during his Sikar rally on Thursday, a change of name would not help the Congress to wash away the sins committed by the UPA government during its 10-year regime. The players are the same, the directors are the same and the sins are catching up fast.
The writer is the convener of the media relations department of the BJP and represents the party as a spokesperson on TV debates. He has authored the book ‘Narendra Modi: The Game Changer’. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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