Beneath the narrative

Modi and BJP has been running the affairs of India for the past 10 years and as per political common sense, it is likely to retain power for another five years. It is also a matter of debate on whether Modi will again be unchallenged even in 2030. Make no mistake that Modi did not just parachute down from nowhere. He rose from the lower ranks and his singular commitment to rise paid off and destiny was indeed kind on him. Today Modi is perhaps perched at a position where he could even take a shot at becoming among India’s top three best prime ministers – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Modi himself. Of course, there are Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was enormously popular and also Dr.Manmohan Singh a silent listener but a brilliant economist who was instrumental in putting India on the track of economic liberalisation. India has had fifteen prime ministers since Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who became independent India’s first prime minister and ruled for 16 years and 286 days. After Nehru there was G.L.Nanda, then Lal Bahadur Shastri and again G.L. Nanda before Indira Gandhi became prime minister. Indira Gandhi was the third prime minister (actually fifth, as she was sworn-in after G.L.Nanda became prime minister for 13 days; then Lal Bahadur Shastri who was prime minister for one year two hundred and sixteen days and following his demise, G.L.Nanda was again sworn-in as prime minister and he occupied office for 13 days). Narendra Modi of the BJP was sworn-in as the 14th prime minister in May 2014 and again in 2019 after leading his party to a landslide win. Jawaharlal Nehru led his Congress party in winning three consecutive elections. Indira Gandhi won two consecutive elections in 1967 and 1971. Sonia Gandhi led the Congress –UPA in winning two consecutive elections in 2004 and 2009. Current prime minister Narendra Modi won two consecutive elections and is bracketed with Indira Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh. However Modi is on the threshold of winning the forthcoming May 2024 Lok Sabha election and if he does that, he will certainly equal the record of Jawaharlal Nehru of winning three consecutive elections. In a significant statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressing a rally in Bhubaneswar, appealed to people to “save democracy” and warned that if Modi wins the Lok Sabha polls 2024, there will not be another election after that. The speech exposes the inherent lack of confidence of the Congress to fight Modi. While the warning that voting Modi will be the end of democracy; the Congress subtly and vainly attempts to project itself as a paragon and defender of democracy. People of India have been losing confidence on the Congress as they have seen it being mortgaged by courtiers, sycophants and drum beaters to serve the family dynast. True also that Modi, unlike past prime ministers, has a divisive agenda and is determined to root out the Congress by all means and ensure his party implants the ideal of one nation, one people one religion. This is happening because the character and spirit of democracy has changed significantly during the decade where power structure has become oligarchic, federalism nullified and judiciary, EC and CIC enfeebled. These provide a picture on where India is going after the 2024 election and beyond.