Narendra Modi’s six km-long roadshow in Varanasi Thursday already looked like a victory rally with people coming out in large numbers to welcome the PM in his constituency.
The roadshow, coming hours after the much-publicised interview with Akshay Kumar, ensured that Narendra Modi ruled the airwaves for consecutive days.
The filing of nomination papers by Modi was an equally grand affair, with NDA allies like Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parkash Singh Badal accompanying him Friday in a major show of strength.
The two-day Varanasi blitzkrieg has clearly served the BJP’s purpose in this Lok Sabha election.
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It has made sure that Modi’s invincibility once again becomes the talk of the town. The roadshow has established that there is hardly any doubt about the return of the Modi-led NDA government after 23 May. He has already declared that he has won Varanasi.
Just a few weeks ago, several analysts and opinion polls were busy forecasting back-of-the-envelope numbers for the BJP this election. Some even asked what would be the BJP’s ‘Plan-B’ if the party failed to cross the 200-mark. There were even talks about the NDA partners preparing alternate plans in the ‘most-likely’ scenario of the BJP struggling to get enough numbers in the Lok Sabha.
Suddenly, all that is past now.
One massive roadshow, and all the ink on these envelopes has evaporated. The ‘Benaras Bash’, the ‘saffron tsunami’ are just some of the expressions used by the media to describe the event, which has been choreographed by the BJP’s campaign managers with military precision.
The mega show has successfully driven home the message that not only will the BJP repeat its 2014 performance, but it will possibly come back with more seats across India and a bigger victory margin for Narendra Modi in Varanasi.
The national telecast of the Varanasi roadshow and its reach on social media will also add heft to every BJP candidate’s campaign in his/her constituency.
Like 2014, Narendra Modi’s campaign managers have ensured again that the overwhelming sentiment among the voters should be – ‘there’s no alternative to Modi’.
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The 2014 Lok Sabha election was fought on the lines of the US presidential election, with personalities dominating the campaign more than issues or ideology. The 2019 election too is now gradually turning out to be personality-oriented.
Many political observers would agree that personality-oriented campaigns are advantageous to the party that has a more towering leader as against those who struggle with image management of their leaders. Not just smaller parties, even a century-old Congress party pales into insignificance when its leader is compared with Modi.
It is no coincidence that the Congress Thursday announced Ajay Rai’s name for Varanasi, hours before Modi’s roadshow began. Speculations were rife that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is also the Congress in-charge for eastern UP, would contest from Varanasi. Such a contest would have no doubt drawn maximum attention and publicity. But the grand preparations for the roadshow and the enthusiasm among people in Varanasi to greet Modi surely had an impact on the Congress’ final decision.
It would be naïve to believe that this spectacular roadshow was designed to win just one seat. Varanasi roadshow has pumped up the BJP’s all-India campaign.
As far as Modi’s campaign is concerned, it is never about limited optics. The show of strength is a signal to the BJP’s partners that Narendra Modi is a pan-India leader under whose leadership even allies can hope to improve their seat tally.
While some of the NDA’s allies tried to drive a hard bargain on the basis of their support base in the states, the roadshow has shown them the mirror. It is doubtful if any leader of any other political party can boast of such massive show of support and strength as demonstrated by Modi.
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Needless to say, the BJP has to work hard to convert this show of strength on the streets of Varanasi into votes in the polling booths. Modi urged the BJP workers in Varanasi Friday to ensure the temple city turns out in record numbers to vote.
The Congress, on the other hand, will have enough time after 23 May to dwell on the reasons for its miserable defeat in the wake of Modi’s campaign blitzkrieg.
The author is former editor of ‘Organiser’. Views are personal.
Apart from dead soldiers, Modiji wants to consolidate majority votes through Kashi all across where votes are yet to complete, we are not naive that the stage managed cloured show of strength was not for single seat. Is Mr Chari thinks that we are fools when during interview with TV channel a tea vendor was again and again serving tea in Khullar was another show to the on how Modi cares for a ordinary Chaiwala made to serve tea in Five star surroundings hotel. Varnasi is sacred for Hindus so also their votes for Modi
Varanasi, was the focus of two happenings that are a forerunner to what we shall all see unfolding on May 23. The PM’s road show was an unprecedented display of the peoples’ confidence and faith in Mr Modi and a clear manifestation of wholehearted approval of this regime. The other happening, significant despite actually being a “Damp Squib”, was the tame and defeatist Congress announcement of Priyanka Vadra’s non event of a non contest from Varanasi. These together, sum up very well, the shape of things to come in the last week of May..