Brand Modi Strengthens Even as Opponents Fight for Survival

MCD exit polls are the latest indication that Indian voter can’t be taken for granted. The days of MSM narratives dictated by the Lutyens elite influencing the Junta are now clearly passé. People are now connected, practical, and know when they’re being taken for a ride. Recent election results in many states and municipal corporations reaffirmed just this.

After Congress, SP and other regional parties, the AAP is the latest to learn this lesson. After riding Anna Hazare’s popularity wave and hijacking the anti-corruption movement to propel their political ambitions, Kejriwal and company figured they didn’t have to do any hard work to come up in politics. All they had to do was to pretend to be different, and indulge in a steady stream of negative propaganda against the centre and other political parties. Only thing they didn’t realize was that people of Delhi wanted to give him a chance, to see if he was actually any different. And that a bigger change was already there, in the form of Modi.

The contrast is striking. On one side there’s Modi and his team of hardworking and efficient ministers supported at NDA ruled states which keep introducing one efficient CM after another. The latest in the list of popular NDA CMs is Yogi Adityanath, who’s making all the right moves, adding to Modi’s overall popularity.  On the other, we see Congress, with a leader who keeps vanishing on holidays after every election loss. Rahul Gandhi’s team of CMs have been equally pathetic, from Siddaramaiah to Virbhadra Singh.  Other regional parties which are trying to put up a united fight against Modi are in total shambles with a host of internal problems, without any clue or credibility required to inspire confidence in people.

While his opponents are running helter-skelter trying to figure out their next move, Modi has been relentless with systematic planning and implementation of his goals. Despite thumping electoral victories and he hasn’t taken a break in nearly three years as PM. Even as the Delhi drama unfolds, he was busy addressing his chief ministers, taking stock of the progress made and anlaysing ppt presentations from CMs on the roadmap to achieve development targets. Yes, targets and PPTs. Modi is the only political leader who works like a corporate CEO. No wonder many people across the country see him as the only hope amidst a political landscape filled with years corruption and red tape. Though several analysts and liberal journalists have gone into panic mode, the complete rout of opposition is just what the doctor ordered for the country. If they have to survive, they need to forget the old, corrupt ways and adapt to the new unforgiving landscape.  Till they are able to do it, Modi would have fewer obstacles in his quest to resurrect India.

- Karnataka Express Bureau.