New Delhi: Visual upon visual of the prime minister, lavish praise for the Union government’s projects and schemes, a generous smattering of religious symbolism and digs at the Opposition — the BJP’s Phir Aayega Modi video song is the first in a series ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Launched through the party’s official handle on X Thursday, ahead of the 22 January consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, the song opens with the temple in the background and shows Modi taking part in its foundation-laying event.
बजेगा डंका, काम के दम का!
राम जी देंगे सद्बुद्धि, फिर आएगा मोदी।
मोदी एक व्यक्ति नहीं है, देश का है वो सम्मान,
140 करोड़ लोगों की आशाओं की है पहचान।
फिर आएगा, फिर आएगा मोदी। pic.twitter.com/mcdTElq2ru
— BJP (@BJP4India) December 28, 2023
The lyrics go: “Bajega danka, kaam ke dam ka, Ramji denge sadbuddhi, phir aayega Modi! Modi ek vyakti nahin hai, desh ka hai who samman, 140 crore logon ki aashaaon ki hai pehchaan, phir aayega, phir aayega Modi! (The drums will announce the work done, Ram will give wisdom and Modi will be back! Modi is not an individual but the respect of the country. He represents the hopes of 140 crore people, Modi will be back, Modi will be back!”
The 10-minute song’s narrative and theme focus on various aspects — the Modi government’s work on the religious and cultural front, from Kashi to Ayodhya and Ujjain, its work for the poor, the development work undertaken during Modi’s two tenures at the Centre, and India’s strides in space and the scientific arena, among others.
To a refrain of “Modi, Modi”, the lyrics talk about how “Modi is shaping a new India and making Mahatma Gandhi’s dreams come true”.
Highlighting the BJP’s poll victories in various states, the song states that while all opponents (of the BJP and the PM) have united, “Modi will return”.
Targeting the opposition INDIA alliance, the song, with visuals and names of opposition leaders, further states that “whatever lies they may spread, Modi will return”.
The song has clips of the PM in Army gear and sitting in a fighter jet. It also shows Modi taking part in global meetings and events to signify India’s rising stature in the world.
“Who made Ram Mandir? Modi Sarkar! Who removed (Article) 370? Modi Sarkar! Who did surgical strike? Modi Sarkar!” sing the lyrics, going on to mention the road network, airports, Vande Bharat trains, AIIMS, IITs and IIMs, all to a chorus of “Modi”.
The song further states that the Modi government “wiped the tears of women” through Ujjwala Yojana and by providing piped water and electricity to every household, and mentions the Jan Dhan Scheme, Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, food grains to the poor, and medical health and housing initiatives.
Significantly, the PM dominates the song with no other BJP leader getting much screen space or time. The party in the last few months has fought — and won — assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in Modi’s name.
A senior BJP leader involved in the campaign song told ThePrint that “this is the first song as the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls has started and meetings are on to select candidates”.
“Since the Ram Mandir’s inauguration is happening next month, cultural and religious symbolism and the PM’s work for the 140 crore people of India has been reflected in the song,” he said, asserting that “there is no denying that the PM will return to power with a larger mandate in 2024”.
“This is not the only song that will be used in the campaign. Other campaign songs will be released to set the narrative and tone of the BJP campaign in the next three months.”
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BJP’s previous campaign anthems
Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which the party won handsomely, the BJP had used different campaign songs to set the narrative.
In early 2019, when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made the “chowkidar chor hai” (watchman is the thief) jibe at Modi over alleged irregularities and favouritism in the Rafale fighter jet deal, the BJP had put out the song “Main bhi chowkidar hoon” (I too am a watchman), pointing out that “every citizen had trust in the PM’s honesty”.
Modi has often described himself as a “chowkidar” who would neither allow corruption nor become corrupt himself.
A month before the polls, the party launched the video song ‘Phir ek baar Modi sarkar’ (Modi government once again), highlighting the BJP’s work towards national security, social welfare and women empowerment, and its “fight against black money”.
Releasing the campaign anthem, then finance minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley had said: “The first theme of our campaign will be ‘kaam karne waali sarkar’ (a government that works). Our second theme will be ‘imaandar sarkar‘ (honest government), and our third theme will be ‘bade faisle lene waali sarkar‘ (a decisive government).” These sub-themes, he explained, would combine the larger theme of “Modi once again”.
The BJP song “Chalo phir ek baar Modi sarkar banate hain”, also released in April 2019, was built around the catchphrase “phir ek baar Modi sarkar”, which was itself a reiteration of its “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar’ (This time, Modi sarkar) campaign of 2014, when the BJP first rode to power at the Centre after 10 years of Congress rule.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had achieved electoral victory with slogans like “Ab ki baar Modi sarkar” and “acche din aane waale hain” (good times are coming).
The Congress in 2019 fought the Lok Sabha elections on the theme of justice via the song ‘Ab hoga nyay’ (now justice will be served) penned by lyricist Javed Akhtar.
The song talked about broken promises, the agrarian crisis and unemployment under the Modi government but apparently did not work for the party, which lost the polls poorly.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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