What a week! I like to think of it as the "Karma in action" week. The term is inspired by a recent conversation with a 'friend' who challenged me to read the Bhagwad Gita in depth. Well, it rests on the tenet of Karma - something that was lost sight of by all the advocates of Hindutva lately.
On Jun 1, 2024, the Loksabha elections in the world's largest democracy concluded in 7 phases amidst heatwaves both climactically as well as politically. The forecast was pretty much decided in the favor of the incumbent party (Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP) and the result on Jun 4th was anticipated to be just a formality before celebrations could commence for them.
But the Jun 4th vote count created history, not just in hailing BJP as the third consecutive ruling government of India, but in giving this party and its leader - Narendra Modi, a massive reality check.
The ruling party BJP's losses across seven major states negated marginal gains in others, and contributed significantly to it netting 62 fewer seats as compared to the 2019 election. The party got a total of 240 seats, below the 272 required for a parliamentary majority and a continued clean saffron stint. Meanwhile, the opposition alliance, which goes by the acronym INDIA, far outperformed expectations, collectively winning more than 230 seats.
It is the first time since Modi was elected back in 2014 that the BJP has not won a clear majority on its own despite is current campaign cry of 400-plus throughout. It faced astounding losses in two key states - Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. In the former, the reinstatement of Ram mandir in Ayodhya failed to give the expected dividend. Indeed, the most striking feature of the secret ballot was the rejection of the Hindutva doctrine. And in Maharashtra, the coalition that the BJP had brought about by breaking up the existing local government failed to gain them the elusive state yet again. The BJP's "politics of humiliation" bred discontent for the party among voters. Also, their indifference to the real issues on the ground, viz. farmers' discontent disheartened the people. There was a distinct lack of dignity throughout the election season; quite possibly that turned the tide for the majority vote.
The BJP had centred its campaign around the cult of prime minister Narendra Modi - its party manifesto being "Modi's guarantee". It rested on hardline Hindu nationalist policies, creation of an impressive brand with the Indian diaspora and the world, a mammoth infrastructure push and the promise of a major economic upgrade. Somewhere along the way, the formidable "Modi wave" had been dented by problems such as high unemployment, inflation and the BJP's myopic view on local issues plaguing individual states viz. Maharashtra, Manipur, Punjab etc. Their battle cry against one minority(Muslims) spooked the Dalits too, who feared that the existing Constitution which gives them some edge in the rising unemployment landscape, will be threatened by the 400-plus margin.
The biggest losers were the pundits and pollsters who had almost unanimously predicted an overwhelming victory for PM Modi and BJP. Their exit-poll predictions were so far off the mark in several states that one prominent pollster, appearing on India's popular English channel, burst into tears on camera when the actual results were revealed.
After intensive discussions with the two allies of BJP - Telugu Desam party (TDP) and Janata Dal United (JDU) led by Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar respectively, the BJP formed the government on Jun 9, 2024. The new PM and cabinet ministers were formally sworn in by the Indian President - Draupadi Murmu, at the Rashtrapati bhavan, in an impressive ceremony. Rahul Gandhi has been nominated as the Opposition leader post the gains in the election. Gandhi's Congress party's election results defied analysts' expectations. A resurgent and confident opposition is the need of the hour to keep the wheels of democracy turning.
It has been most interesting to see the media FINALLY rise to the occasion after having been stifled for so long. Interesting post mortem and debates have taken the internet by storm in the wake of this historic election. Many theories have been propounded and countless conjectures put forth. The new coalition government will ensure that BJP will need to consult and collaborate with its allies, as well as the opposition, before making any further radical decisions.
While Modi has always been the only real contender for the post of PM of India, hopefully this wake up call will unleash a revamped PM as he lives up to yet another challenge with his signature aplomb. I began my second career innings in Jan 2024 as an author. I like to call it my 2.0 version. Modi 3.0 will see a new version emerge of PM Modi, one that will adapt to the demands of this new government and fresh struggles. 'Restart' is the name of the game : unlearn, learn and re-learn!
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