The name I.N.D.I.A. alliance was always a stretch of the imagination. It is an incredulous concept mixed with incompetent execution and headed by imbecile leaders. Did these guys think they would challenge the might of Modi and B.J.P. election machinery? And I need not even talk about Modi's charisma and strong connection with the masses. I am speaking strictly from political strategy here. Coming together to defeat a strong opponent is not against the art of politics. But for a set of people to achieve the goal of unseating an entrenched incumbent, they need a common enemy, a common philosophical platform to stand on, and a common goal to achieve. The challengers also need to be clear about their ambitions as well. The common platform is not to get Modi and B.J.P. to win the third term. But what about a common goal? In a somewhat ironic and comical manner, all members of this alliance aspire to become the candidate for the position of Prime Minister. They all want to be the Prime Minister. That's not a goal; that's an ambition. That's daydreaming. That's delusional!
Modi's rise was sudden, but only some from the opposition thought it would last this long. PM Modi is already in a rarified air of completing two full terms with an absolute majority. Only Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi completed two consecutive terms with absolute majority. However, Prime Minister Modi is unique in the history of independent India because he does not come from the vaunted 'Gandhi-Nehru' bloodline or any politically heavyweight family. Many mainstream politicians and political parties probably thought the people's mandate PM Modi received in 2014 was a fluke. They may have reasoned that it's more anger against the weak Manmohan Singh government than a vote for Modi and B.J.P.
The 2019 must have shaken this belief to the core since people reposed their faith in Modi and gave him a more significant mandate. Any sane person would attempt to learn from the defeats and do the course correction. But our opposition leaders are not rational; worse, they are not leaders. All they care about is their personal fiefdom and family-run political parties. The whole administration and governance system is rigged so spectacularly at this point that it has effectively become a well-oiled machinery to siphon off tax money. And these family-run political parties have developed generational acumen to do precisely that. As the Modi government rapidly expanded governance through technology and a direct-to-beneficiary model, the money available in the system started to dry up. That got everyone's attention. When Modi and B.J.P. continued to post impressive wins across multiple state-level elections, these families joined to fight against Modi and his party.
Modi and B.J.P. are winning the election because they continue to provide a narrative and a governing philosophy to the masses effectively. To a large extent, they have changed a multitude of things across administration, governance, and bureaucratic domains. Their work is evident across infrastructure, G.D.P. growth, personal income growth, and internationally. Instead of developing a sensible alternative governance model, the opposition has been resorting to remarkably short-sighted tactics. For example, petitioning the Supreme Court to put a break on the Enforcement Directorate (E.D.) from raiding and seizing illegally hoarded cash and properties. No sensible commoner will ever support any political party or politician in this endeavor. Then why do that? Because it was not about public trust, elections, or any electoral strategy. The move was only self-serving. Since the fear of getting arrested for corruption and not having enough opportunities to siphon off money drives these people together, self-preservation takes center stage, not any sensible political strategy.
Another point to note is that a lot of these political parties are regional parties, and their fight on a central platform is only to ensure security in their states. They want to continue to rule the state and do not care much about anything else. These regional parties are founded in regional jingoism and have no prospects beyond the state borders. For example, The T.M.C. has zero presence outside of W.B. and has zero interest in gaining any such foothold. The same goes for the Shiv Sena or Samajwadi Party. On the other hand, A.A.P. has a national ambition that stomps over the Congress vote bank.
How can these cats even be herded?
As if the lack of a common philosophy and goal is not a big enough issue, the Congress party, run by Rahul Gandhi, assumed they would lead the block. The party and the leader have made some of the most inane political blunders in the last decade, and the party has consistently lost public trust at the national level. Not only trust, but their presence has rapidly decreased across North India. The party does not have a presence in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Although the party is strong in Karnataka, it only holds power at the assembly election level. The party should not even be called a national party at this point. However, Rahul Gandhi believes his dishonest tactics will help him and the opposition coalition win votes!
All this chatter is not to prove Modi and B.J.P. will be elected again in 2024. I hope they get elected. But any functioning democracy should have a functioning opposition. Without opposition, hubris sets in. And we are too familiar with the results when that happens. Let's hope that the Indian electorate sensibly electing Modi and B.J.P. in 2024 also plays a crucial role in electing sensible opposition.
