Ever since India attained independence or even prior to that , the country saw many popular leaders right from Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawahar Lal Nehru in the first decade post-independence and Lal Bahadur Shashtri, Smt. Indira Gandhi, Bharat Ratan Atal Bihari Vajpayee etc who all were very popular in their respective tenures of rule but only a very few the likes of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi stealth the limelight for a long time not only among the treasury benches but oppositions and caste, colour or creed and communities cutting across social, political and religious affiliations. Every Prime minister did something great for this nation and there were many failures as well. Nehru streamlined the political and economic landscape immediately after independence but utterly failed to protect the frontiers, failed in securing a permanent seat in UN to which India still is working day in and day out unsuccessfully credited lack of internalist approach on the part of Jawahar Lal Nehru. Visionary and iron willed Sardar Patel united the country by all means and made a good history. Lal Bahadur Shashtri did well in 1965 and made Pakistan bite the dust uncaring for the USA et al. Similarly Mrs. Indira Gandhi broke Pakistan and helped Bangladeshis escape the Brutalities, butcher, and rape from Pakistan army. On the other hand Sh. Rajiv Gandhi established maruti, brought computers, Sh. Vishwanath Partap Singh took care of OBC’s although at the cost of many innocent lives, P V Narshima Rao brought in many economic reforms, and Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee unbothering about any international fear and pressure made Bharat nuclear even at the cost of facing the economic sanctions.
Sh. A B Vajpayee also set the precedent for corruption free government and also set a record of running a coalition of more ten 20 parties and that too very successfully. Surprisingly, almost every government faced corruption charges be that JEEP scandal, 2G, Olympic, rafale etc and a PM in Sh. Rajiv Gandhi saying that out of 100 paisa sent for development, only 15/17 paise reaches the bottom was something like an open admission that corruption in this country was above everything, every power. It was like an uncontrolled phenomenon to which even the PM’s didn’t shy away from acknowledging, courtesy former Prime Minister Late. Rajiv Gandhi. Such was the state of political affairs prevalent about corruption in Bharat. Although every government and every PM did its best in the prevalent social and political environment of their time. SInce immediately after independence congress was the main force in the country, so people blindly voted it to power like a single party democracy during the first 2/3 lok sabha elections. Likewise Indira Gandhi in her second time rose to power on the plank of breaking Pakistan and creating Bangladesh. Rajiv Gandhi got a thumping majority merely on the basis of sympathy wave after the assassination of his mother the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi so on and so forth. BJP for the first time rose to power may be on Babri masjid issue, assurance for Ram temple construction, promise for abrogation Article 370 etc., Advani Ji’s rath yatra from kanyakumari to Kashmir made BJP a pan Bharat household discussion for the first time.
But what is making the incumbent Prime Minister Mr. Modi and BJP so popular, no rath yatra, no Babri demolition, no shining Bharat slogan like it did in 2004, no offer of big dreams to the public. Then what is the secret of BJP’s rising to power so high and so frequently in states as well as at the center. Is it showing the dreams, trying to tell big lies or being practical? Perhaps it is only the latter. BJP’s unblemished performance in Gujarat, MP where is ruled continuously for decade’s is the cutting factor people gave BJP one chance in 2014 at the center. Another was the suffocation from congress for its poor performance, soft approach on terrorism, stand on existence of Bhagwan Shri Ram as an imagination by the congress in the supreme court etc., non-committal on 370/35-A were some other factors. But BJP’s daredevil and bold stand like on Triple talaq, construction of Ram temple etc made a permanent dent in congress strongholds and Muslims voters pan India got divided i.e males may have voted mostly for congress and other parties but females preferred Modi and BJP. But whosoever be they Muslim voters, males or females turned towards BJP, came with full conviction and a strong belief that Modi and BJP is the party which can take care of them minus hoax slogans from congress. BJP did not show big and supersonic dream in 2014 but rallied on realistic and time demanding issues, like gas connections to the poor, bank accounts for all left over through the nook and corner of the country since independence, mudra loan to all unemployed, toilets for very household, PMAY housing scheme for all, these were all public desired issued which BJP resolved to the extent and that is why it got more seats in 2019 than in 2014. This rise is neither dramatic, nor emotion based. It is slow and gradual but based on the conviction and wisdom of common masses.
The example of BJP and Modi governments’ success can be gauged from the fact that a small village Bagh in panchayat panshyai of tehsil Bhella in district Doda comprising 20 households has 20 PMAY sanctioned houses. This is how the BJP government is practically reaching to all the poor, peasants, labourers and middle class cutting across class and community, region and religion and faith and belief. As a result many hard-core female congress supporters in 2019 elections voted for Modi and BJP. They unhesitatingly say that in 2014 we voted for Modi on the assurance of Gas connection and the promise of doing away with of Triple talaq and since he has fulfilled that promise so now Modi and BJP is a tested man and committed party and so we won’t ever shun them, we are committed Muslims, committed villagers, committed Hindus, committed farmers, committed labourers etc. and we are honest in our deeds too. Jis ka khayen ge usi ka geet gayen ge. This was the response from housewives, farmers etc who had never been to the school, never listened to mann ki baat but watched on TV Mr. Modi explaining BJP’s policies very curiously. Some even go to the extent of saying that weather Modi Ji is benefitting us or not weather we get our due from the government schemes or not, that is immaterial to us but Modi and BJP government at the center has tightened the noose around all those corrupt who used to take away our pie and we are happy with that. This is the understanding of Modi by the labour class who all have a blind faith that at least their pie won’t be misappropriated or pilfered. This is making BJP besides a trusted party, a commoner’s thought process as well. Some ladies say that during corona when the entire nation was in panic, whether we live or die but since Modi government is committed for their well being, so they will definitely sail out the nation from the man made epidemic/pandemic. So BJP may have grown more as a trusted party but more than that it seems becoming a national belief. It has emerged as a reformer party, a nationalist force, a commitment beholder of all faiths and an ultimate solution for all problems pan India. All in all BJP unlike all Other political parties seems becoming a national and social thought for every household and all individuals cutting across gender, caste, community, colour, creed, social and religious affilations. BJP seems seating itself deep in the hearts of all 1.4 billion Bhartyas. It is emerging as a national and social thought which will definitely be remembered till generations for pro active approach and bold decisions. The recent victory in Haryana, Maharashtra and today in Delhi proved beyond doubt that now Modi and BJP have become Pan-India relevant. Modi ki guarantee has emerged as a voters/national thought.
The Author is serving as Assistant Director in Forest Department, Government of J&K
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