Number one Jodi-maker: Five ways in which PM Narendra Modi changed Indian politics

From the very moment he swept into power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had a major impact on the political landscape in the nation. Much ink has been spilled in how his victory itself, how it reshaped the BJP, traditional electoral math, and, of course, the fortunes of the UPA. But he has been no less impactful as Prime Minister over the past year, and most so on his political rivals. Here are the five biggest effects the Prime Minister has had on politics in the country:

Number One Jodi-maker

The biggest achievement of the rise of Narendra Modi’s political strength has to  be the creation of the Janata Parivar. Arch rivals in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal head Lalu Prasad Yadav and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar, are suddenly like best friends, rediscovering their old yaari from their college days as foot soldiers in the Lohia movement. Mulayam Singh Yadav is chief of an alliance that consists of  the unlikeliest members. Apart from Lalu and Nitish, there’s former PM HD Deve Gowda JD (S), jailed ex-CM Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD and the Samajwadi Janata Party. Their first priority will be to prevent the Nitish government from tumbling in the upcoming Bihar  elections, which in turn will determine just how long these political besties will stay together.  We can’t wait to see who else PM Modi the jodi-maker will bring together in the coming year. Mulayam and Mayawati, perchance?

Rahul Gandhi rebooted

At the outset, it seemed as though Modi had decisively decimated the Gandhis, reducing Rahul to grinning sheepishly in the background, as his mother conceded the election to the BJP. But one year later, the Modi effect has reversed itself, and with a vengeance. After going off on a 56-day vacation to an undisclosed location and missing half the Budget session of Parliament may have seemed foolhardy at the time, but he has since returned armed with fiery rhetoric reminiscent of Candidate Modi himself. Ma-beta sarkar has been replaced by suit-boot ki sarkar this time around. Who said Modiji isn’t a good role model?

Odd couple of the year

With the winds of anti-incumbency in his sails, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the PDP may have have thought their chances of coming to power in Jammu and Kashmir, were pretty good. But the BJP’s barn-storming performance in the state,  no small thanks to Modi himself, put paid to his dream of flying solo. Having campaigned as the one party that could stop BJP from gaining Kashmir, Sayeed  became the chief minister who ushered in the first BJP government in the state. This gunshot wedding hasn’t enjoyed much of a honeymoon, but all those fireworks haven’t led to the divorce court… as yet.

To divorce or not to divorce

They may have been allies for the last 25 years but it was the D-word that dominated headlines in the aftermath of the Maharashtra elections. The Shiv Sena’s reluctance to acknowledge the not-so- junior status of its partner led to a public split just ahead of the 2014 assembly elections over the seat sharing equation. The results – BJP won 122 seats while the Shiv Sena won 63 – led to a flurry make up-break up rumours worthy of a Bollywood marriage. The two parties finally decided to stay together, but with Shiv Sena left sulking like a scorned spouse. Stinging Saamna editorials against the Prime Minister and BJP central government are issued periodically much as verbal missiles in a marital spat. But while the marriage may be in trouble due Modi’s giant-like status, we suspect a full-on break is unlikely for now.

An enemy of my enemy…

Who would have thought it possible? Mamata Banerjee declaring that she is willing to back a national front led by the Congress that would include her arch Communist rivals (Not that she is willing to ally with the Left in her home state). That’s a pretty big shift for a woman whose entire career has been built on battling and finally defeating the Left. But strange things happen to our netas when Modi sets his sights on their state. All those Amit Shah trips to West Bengal seem to have softened Mamata’s perspective.  Not surprisingly, the Left turned down the offer… for now. But as they say, the enemy of an enemy can often be a good friend. But will Modi one day persuade Yechury of the charms of Mamata? Stay tuned.