In a pluralistic country like India, having a multi-party system that has witnessed political upheavals during coalition rule, winning the popular mandate consistently for 12 years is a big accomplishment.
Normally, parties which rule for long, face anti-incumbency factor, but it is the reverse in the case of Narendra Modi.
Modi has consistently won people’s trust. Not only his party BJP, but other NDA constituents have won elections because of Modi.
This has never happened in the past in Indian politics. No other leader garnered such popular support on a humungous scale.
In his speech at the NDA leaders’ conclave in Delhi, Modi attributed this to the “blessings of the people”. At the same time, he said, “this is not the time to stop and take a rest, we must move forward with new energy”.
Two types of leaders are nowadays seen in Indian politics. There are leaders who make reels and make them viral on digital platforms, and there are leaders who garner votes of commoners.
Modi belongs to the second category. He led his party to win the Lok Sabha elections thrice consecutively. He did not allow the Grand Old Party of India to touch the three-digit figure in Lok Sabha.
When Modi took over as PM, there were NDA governments in seven states. BJP and NDA governments now rule 22 states and union territories.
In a democracy, a leader is one who can do the impossible and, at the same time, energize his party to win. The victories in West Bengal and Assam are the latest reflections of this political will.
Modi changed the political lexicon by ending the politics of appeasement. He ran a stable government, gained people’s trust in governance, and wherever BJP won, he ensured that the victories were repeated in subsequent elections.
To have a longer tenure compared to Nehru’s, is, in itself, a big accomplishment, but the more important part is, Modi charted his own path towards sustained victories.
Modi taught BJP workers how to fight from each polling booth, no matter whether the election was big or small. He trained them how to put in their maximum effort to win, and once the election was over, Modi went on to prepare for the next battle. Such is his stamina.
There are no leaders in the opposition who can counter Modi. Elections are not won by making reels and garnering huge hits on Instagram.
More records will break. Abhi Picture Baaki Hai!
Mamata : Nephew becomes the nemesis
The exodus of leaders and MPs from Mamata Banerjee’s party continues. Sushmita Dev, who was close to the Trinamool supremo at one point of time, resigned her TMC membership from Rajya Sabha.
Another loyalist Kalyan Banerjee alleged that he was insulted by Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. He said, if the nephew stays, he will quit.
As of now, only 11 TMC members are left in Rajya Sabha, while nearly 20 TMC members in Lok Sabha have written to the Speaker to recognize them as a separate group. In the Bengal assembly, only 16 TMC MLAs are left with Mamata Banerjee.
The Trinamool supremo had a one-to-one meeting with Sonia Gandhi for one hour on Tuesday, and nephew Abhishek had a 90-minute meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
There are reports that a message was conveyed to both Mamata and Abhishek to merge their party with the Congress.
Mamata could never dream that a party that she painstakingly built for 28 years would collapse like a house of cards in 28 days.
More than 60 MLAs whom Mamata nurtured and fielded in elections, deserted her. Nearly 20 MPs, whom she picked, have now charted their own course.
Mamata might be wondering, why this treachery?
Only Abhishek Banerjee’s autocratic stance cannot be the only reason. During Mamata’s 15-year rule, there were extortions on a massive scale and people lived in an atmosphere of fear. Once the lid was opened, everything started boiling out.
Revolt in PoK : Asim Munir is worried
People in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir have come out in revolt against the army. The army has launched a major crackdown to stem the revolt. One Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Air Force crashed in PoK, killing all 21 army personnel.
While the army attributed this to a ‘technical problem’, locals say, the chopper was targeted by rebels.
Thousands have come out on the streets in PoK. Pakistan Rangers are firing directly at protesters. Till now, dozens have been killed, according to eyewitnesses.
Pakistan Army’s Aviation Brigade has been sent to PoK. People marching towards Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Mirpur and other towns are being told through loudspeakers to stay away from these towns.
Thousands of marchers are moving towards these towns from Jhelum valley, Dadyal, Kotli, Bhimber and Hajira. Locals say, Army and Rangers are disposing of the bodies of those killed in firings to hide the real figure.
History has been witness to the fact that the Pakistan army has never shown empathy towards commoners. The army only knows the language of bullet.
Pakistan’s rulers never allowed people of PoK to live a peaceful life. They were deliberately kept in poverty and were subjected to atrocities.
The fire of rebellion is now spinning out of control of Pakistan’s rulers. People are coming out to face bullets. This can prove costly for Pakistan.