In Balakot air strike, BJP has found electoral agenda to slam Opposition, reconnect voters with Brand Modi

With its new pre-poll catchphrase “Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai”, the ruling BJP would be hoping to turn its “Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar” slogan into a reality. An improvement on the earlier catchphrase, “Namumkin ab Mumkin”, the key decision makers in the BJP have decided to introduce the new catchphrase following the post-Pulwama attack surgical strikes 2 when Indian Air Force jets went deep inside Pakistani territory to destroy Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Balakot. The new catchphrase aims to convey the strength and decisiveness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The focus is to connect the electorate with the way Modi gave a free hand to the armed forces to cross the Line of Control and the International Border and hit intended targets in Pakistan, as well as, convey, a multitude of messages on the speed and scale of developmental projects and anti-corruption measures. [caption id=“attachment_6000671” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI[/caption] The two public rallies held by Modi on Sunday, first in Patna where he shared the dais with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as an ally after a decade and second in Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s home turf Amethi, was high on nationalist fervour. In both the places, all leaders who spoke from the podium talked about the Pulwama attack and the decisiveness of Modi’s leadership. Based on the manner in which the speakers addressed the crowd and the crowd’s response at both these places, it is clear that BJP would be going to the polls with two broad topics: first, the strong leadership of Modi, and how it would make everything possible, and second, the post-Pulwama response by Indian armed forces. Both these topics are being pitched in a manner that they emotively polarise the voters in favour of the BJP. The clamour for “proof” by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh for the Indian air strike at Balakot and the barrage of questions raised by Opposition leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Kapil Sibal, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Mehbooba Mufti, Salman Khursheed and others, seem to have only helped the BJP in shaping its response and giving a nationalist and pro-forces twist to the February crisis. Modi began his speech in Patna and in Amethi — telling the crowd and those on the podium to chant Bharat Mata ki Jai thrice with their full vocal strength. And each time, the slogan was dedicated to a particular theme converging into a patriotic fervour: “Parakrmi Bharat Ke Liye Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vijayi Bharat Ke Liye Bharat Mata ki Jai and Veer Jawano Ke Liye Bharat Mata ki Jai". Modi then lashed out at the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, in particular, saying they were indulging in competition to abuse the “chowkidar (Modi)”, but, he added, the “Chowkidar chaukanna hai, surakhsha chahe garib ki ho ya desh ki… Jitne bade faisle hain who danke ki chot par liye jaa rahe hain who aage bhi liye jayenge (Chowkidar is awake and alert, whether for the poor or for the country. Big and bold decisions that are being taken now with the beat of a drum and will be taken in the future as well)”. The fact that the statements made by Arvind Kejriwal, and Rahul Gandhi reading out a joint statement of 21 parties in which the Opposition parties expressed anguish over the politicisation of the Pulwama attack by the BJP, became headlines in the Pakistan media, gave Modi the ammunition to target the Opposition leaders, albeit without naming them. The prime minister criticised his political adversaries by saying, “Pakistan me unke liye taaliyan baj rahi hai (They are clapping for them in Pakistan).” In the current heat, when a lot is being talked about India’s capabilities — the bombing of JeM camps in Balakot by aged aircraft like Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and Mirage 2000 jets and later another ageing jet Indian MiG 21 Bison shooting down a Pakistani F-16, Modi has talked twice about Rafale in the last two days. Each time, the prime minister highlighted the difference the Rafale jets would have made if they were part of the Indian Air Force. He first spoke about it at the media conclave on Sunday and again on Monday at a public function in Jamnagar. Modi didn’t elaborate about the deal but him making a brief mention about the sixth generation fighter aircraft which would be inducted in September appeared to have punctured all the charges made by Gandhi against him and the Rafale deal. Given the current mood of the nation, the politics over Rafale appears to have taken a whole new turn. It’s advantage Modi and BJP. In any case, India has not acquired any advanced fighter jets for decades. The Modi government has also made a big change in India’s policy that was prevalent since the India-Pakistan 1971 War that it would not cross the LoC or the International Border with Pakistan no matter what the provocation — 1999 Kargil War, 2001 Indian Parliament Attack, 26/11 Mumbai Attack and so on — to defend its sovereign rights. In the past two and half years, Indian armed forces have crossed the LoC and the International Border twice for surgical strikes. The BJP’s new catchphrase, therefore, appears to have set the defining electoral agenda and possibly the electoral outcome as well.