SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
The nation is gearing up for second phase of the Lok Sabha polls to be held tomorrow, April 26, for 88 seats across 13 States. After the first phase of polling on April 16, the entire country in some or the other manner has been immersed in the biggest event of the country, the general elections to the Lok Sabha. As the summer temperatures soar, the political heat is catching up with the political parties and the two major alliances in the country, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the INDIA Bloc led by the Congress party. While the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the slogan ‘Ab ki baar 400 paar’ is eyeing for a third consecutive success and government formation, the Congress is hoping to make a comeback with the alliance created with other national and regional parties to counter the BJP and encash upon the anti-incumbency wherever possible.
In the countdown to the poll dates, the BJP, which has a very strong track record of ground based cadre and is always campaign ready, launched their campaign with the Viksit Bharat slogan. The Prime Minister since 2023 launched the Amrit Kal campaign presenting before the country a vision for 2047. However, it is shocking and surprising to see the party suddenly shifting from the agenda of development to other trivial and emotional issues.
The last BJP government before Modi was of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was known as the stalwart who represented the party in the Indian Parliament for over five decades and had friends across party lines. He became the Prime Minister thrice and served his full term between 1999 and 2004. Despite its achievements, the India Shining campaign of 2004 of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Vajpayee failed to impress the electorate and the NDA lost the 2004 Lok Sabha elections to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Congress party. The India Shining slogan drew criticism from various columnists and political critics of the then NDA government for the lopsided focus on urban growth story and neglecting a variety of social problems, including poverty, social inequality, distress and backwardness of the rural India. Perhaps, after the first phase of polling the party has realised it needed to do more and therefore there has been a shift in the campaign agenda from Viksit Bharat to emotive issues, especially religion.
Last week, the star campaigner launched a scathing attack on the Opposition by invoking the minority appeasement agenda. Though the campaigner attacked the political party, the message to the electorate was clear that it’s his party that was and will be the saviour of the majority from the alleged minority appeasement agenda of the Opposition. However, the agenda itself falls flat as neither the Opposition has announced anything to achieve anything special for the minorities and other classes, nor the minorities of the nation have ever demanded appeasement. On the contrary, they have stood by secularism, social equality and the Constitution of India.
O Heraldo in its special coverage under People’s Manifesto has been highlighting issues that are important to the people of Goa. People have raised several issues, including Mhadei Water diversion, unemployment, land ownership, erratic power supply, etc. With the change of stance from Viksit Bharat to religion in the rest of the country, whether the campaign agenda will also change in Goa, remains a question? Important issues of employment, slow economic growth, safety of women and children and mining restart will be sidelined and the agenda will return back to religion and minority versus majority.
Section 123 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, under Subsection 3 prohibits any electoral appeal based on religion, race, caste, community or language for electoral gains. If so, will the Election Commission of India take cognisance and act against politicians or other elements as it had declared during the poll schedule press conference? Surely, India’s political campaign has digressed from development to issues of divisive politics.
