BJP plans relentless counter-attack by raking up emotive issues around national security and setting discourse around its catchy welfare measures.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to offset the growing backlash over rising fuel prices and falling rupee by using a cocktail of diversionary tactics — relentless counter-attack on the opposition, raking up emotive issues around national security and attempting to set the discourse around its catchy welfare measures.
Several opposition parties took to the streets Monday calling for a Bharat bandh to corner the government on the electorally sensitive issue of fuel price hikes.
The rupee has hit an all-time low, prices of petrol and diesel are skyrocketing to an all-time high. Despite the Modi government’s non-panicky stance, it’s not as if the BJP isn’t worried about the electoral impact of these.
Given that Modi is unlikely to budge on the issue of fuel prices and cut any excise duty, the BJP has “little option but to distract instead”, said highly placed sources in the party.
“We will have to divert public attention away from the issue and shift the discourse. Of course, PM Modi’s personal popularity and credibility will be exploited to the hilt to help tide over this setback,” said a party source on condition of anonymity.
National executive meet
The party’s stance at its recently concluded two-day national executive meet, which came amid this crisis, was a teaser of how it will tackle the unrest at a time when it stares at year-end assembly polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as an incumbent.
At the meet, Modi took to attacking the opposition vociferously while talking about his government’s welfare measures. Shah, meanwhile, raised the pitch on national security, including the issue of ‘urban Naxals’, what he alleged to be Congress’ attempts to ‘break India’ as well as the updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
Also read: For BJP, NRC has become the national register of convenience
The issues of a falling rupee or rising fuel costs were not addressed openly during the meet and didn’t figure as part of either Modi or Shah’s speeches.
Party sources say this was a well thought-out strategy and will be taken as a cue by all leaders and cadres on how to address the ire against fuel price rise.
Strategy for opposition
To begin with, attacks on the opposition — particularly the Congress — will become more shrill and caustic, with the BJP hoping that uncomfortable issues will get drowned in the cacophony. Modi will himself lead the charge on this front, taking on the Congress and the idea of a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in a big way.
Sources said, the fact that three key parties — Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Left — chose to keep away from the Congress-led protests and hold their own instead is being seen as a sign of vulnerability in the opposition, giving the BJP an added point to question the strength and credibility of the proposed umbrella alliance.
The BJP will also up the ante on its twin poll plank of national security and welfare. Sources said the idea is to “constantly talk of issues that voters identify with BJP, like its commitment to protecting the nation as well as driving out infiltrators who are a threat and a drain on national resources”.
‘Real picture’
The party is also banking heavily on the Modi card in the belief that the voters don’t question his personal integrity or intent.
Party leaders and its cadre will, at each point possible, continue to reiterate Modi’s welfare initiatives like Ujjwala Yojana, rural housing, health insurance, rural electrification and other infrastructure creation.
Also read: BJP won’t answer tough questions because it wants to rule India for 50 years
Officially, the party maintained that it’s going to the people and explaining economic facts and causes of the situation, while laying out what it has done for the people.
“We have already explained facts to the people. We are using data and statistics to show the reasons and the real picture,” said BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra.
“As for the question the opposition is asking, about what we have done with all the tax money, we will go to the people and talk about all the work done by the government — infrastructure creation, road construction as well as schemes like Ujjwala and Saubhagya. The truth always finds traction among people.”
Economic pain is real, intense, continuing to spread. Another bad day for INR and the stock market. One way or another, almost each economic sector and section of society is getting hurt. Whatever the political / electoral fallout and the strategy to counter it – which is the party’s job – the government has to focus on improving the situation. Spokespersons are not sounding credible at all. Mrs Gandhi saw her Himalayan post 1971 popularity melt like a lit candle after the inflation and other economic difficulties occasioned by war, drought, oil shock.