INDIA’S sweeping multi-stage elections have commenced, and this time around, the electorate’s attention is riveted on pressing issues like unemployment, inflation, and the overarching economic distress.
In a departure from the divisive polls of 2014 and 2019, communal rhetoric is conspicuously less dominant, despite efforts by pro-Hindutva campaigners to stoke communal tensions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has steered his campaign towards attacking opposition figures as Mughal-like meat-eaters, a departure from merely critiquing their dietary preferences.
Despite considerable resources and vigorous advertising, the controversial inauguration of the Ram temple finds itself lower down on voters’ priority lists, according to analysts. The lack of overt polarization, typically fueled by anti-Muslim rhetoric often coupled with false references to Pakistan, may yield surprises come vote counting on June 4.
Take the case of Navneet Rana, a spirited BJP candidate from Amravati, Maharashtra. She has repeatedly cautioned her supporters against complacency, dispelling notions of a Modi wave or blind reliance on his support. “There is no Modi wave this time. Stay vigilant,” she asserts. Rana’s message echoes similar sentiments circulating among BJP supporters.
In an intriguing turn, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member, reportedly declined the BJP’s offer to contest Lok Sabha elections, citing financial constraints. This gesture has been interpreted as an indirect critique of the electoral bonds scandal, in which the BJP was a major beneficiary.
Sitharaman’s stance pales in comparison to her husband, political economist Parakala Prabhakar. His book, “The Crooked Timber of New India: Essays on a Republic in Crisis,” offers a critical appraisal of the Modi era, leaving many puzzled. Prabhakar has gone as far as suggesting that a return of Modi to power would spell the end of the constitution. However, he also forecasts that the BJP will fall short of the halfway mark, a sentiment echoed by Rahul Gandhi and other opposition figures.
Contrary to Modi-friendly TV narratives, independent online media outlets and alternative news channels do not project an easy victory for the prime minister. These accounts align with the pre-poll survey by the Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, which, while placing Modi ahead of his rivals, highlights issues that could render him vulnerable.
In sum, the Indian elections appear poised to deliver surprises to both participants and observers, barring a seismic event akin to Pulwama or the Muzaffarnagar riots.
