The BJP’s loss in Jharkhand does not reflect on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity. It only underlines the distinction voters have started making between the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. It’s also a message to the BJP that the use of religion or nationalism is not enough to win elections.
Modi skirting NRC a tactical retreat. PM & BJP can’t look to get away by confusing people
PM Modi’s public distancing from the contentious NRC seems only like a tactical retreat. His claim that there has been no discussion on NRC in his government also does not stand a fact-check. The PM and BJP leaders cannot hope to get away by contradicting each other and confusing people.
A strongly performing economy, job creation, moderate inflation, improvements in living standards, a national mood of optimism for the future, all this the Centre can contribute to strengthening the popularity of its state administrations. Difficult for an individual state to create this amidst a national slump, as we saw in Maharashtra. 2. National security is also the Centre’s responsibility. However, there is no existential threat to our country from either neighbour, barring some talk about moving up the escalatory matrix.
Course correction required so that Gandhi family doesn’t get to play king maker.
A pan Indian NRC cannot be implemented, if one sees the latest edition of the India Today map of India. CMs are distancing themselves from it. So will scores of millions of Indians – by no means only Muslims – who will see a refusal to tender documents as a Gandhian response. Almost all the hard Hindutva stuff that has been done since the magnificent second term victory – which was meant to take India further down the road to development and prosperity – is playing out badly on the ground and is not converting into electoral elixir. Dented in Haryana, denied in Maharashtra, defeated in Jharkhand is a somber assessment of 2019 for the greatest political machine India has seen. 2. So the New Year resolution for India’s natural party of governance should be to get back to the basics of improving the lives of all Indians.