BUOYED by the historic victory of the BJP in the state Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address at the party’s national headquarters, described it as a triumph of every section of Indian society.
While his euphoric supporters are now more than confident of Modi equalling first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of a third consecutive win, they have set the bar even higher. Their goal now is for the party to break Nehru’s grandson and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s record of winning 414 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and ensuring that the party’s victory march continues beyond the third term.
The architect of the new BJP, PM Modi, however, has set his goal beyond the party’s future trajectory. He has set his eyes on making India a developed country during the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal. And the expectations are not unrealistic. Rising above partisan politics, PM Modi has called for united efforts and innovation to turn ‘Inevitable India’ into a reality.
Beyond the numbers, electoral trends show that PM Modi’s governance model of inclusive development (Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas) has evoked a positive response. Everyone in India gets a sense of personal achievement in the country’s phenomenal rise. Under Modi, India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing economy. Today it features at the forefront of alliances and strategic partnerships by governments across North America, Europe and the Global South to the corporate leaders across the world.
According to the ‘Mood of the Nation’ survey, Modi remains the tallest and most popular leader in India. Two-thirds of Indians are of the opinion that the Modi regime has done an excellent job over the last over nine years. Following his ascent to power in 2014, PM Modi exceeded popular expectations by securing victory in the 2019 General Elections with both a higher vote-share and seat-count.
Political analysts well-versed in Narendra Modi’s governance and political strategies would affirm that his governance strategy, rooted in holistic development for all, has been a constant factor since his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
This approach has not only strengthened ‘Brand Narendra Modi’ but also enabled the BJP to secure sweeping mandates in the Hindi heartland and an upward trajectory in Telangana. In each of the states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana – the BJP not only augmented its seatcount but also increased its vote-share.
This signifies a shift in voter allegiance, with individuals who did not support the BJP in 2018 choosing to do so in 2023.
In Madhya Pradesh, for instance, the BJP secured 30 new seats not won in 2018; in Chhattisgarh, it secured tribal seats not won in 2018 or 2013; in Rajasthan, it demonstrated improved performance in eastern Rajasthan where it lagged in 2018, and in Telangana, it garnered votes from areas previously absent in its support base in 2018.
In essence, the electoral dynamics underscores a straightforward reality: each new voter exhibits a preference for casting his/her vote in favour of the BJP under Modi. This ground-level sentiment, cutting across caste, demography and geography, transforms every election the BJP contests into a people’s election rather than merely a party-centric one.
