New Delhi: From questioning whether NDA allies would accept the leadership of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the civil servants from Gujarat to declaring the end of the era of one-party rule, the Urdu newspapers this week had several takes on the election results.
Here’s a wrap-up of what the Urdu press highlighted this week.
Hollow ‘400-paar’ slogan, unfulfilled promises & way ahead
A 7 June Roznama Rashtriya Sahara editorial said that the 2024 Lok Sabha election results have transformed India — the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) diminished numerical advantage has empowered the Congress and its allies and ended the one-party rule. A coalition government is back, and now, the BJP, despite being the leading party, needs support to form a government, it said.
A 7 June Inquilab editorial said the voters’ mandate went against the government. Despite Narendra Modi’s narrow victory in Varanasi and the BJP’s poor performance, it criticised Modi for not accepting moral responsibility for the party’s “defeat” and still presenting himself as Prime Minister.
A 6 June Siasat editorial called the “abki baar 400 paar” slogan hollow, saying that the INDIA alliance has done very well, disproving predictions and exit polls, with the BJP failing to secure a simple majority. Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar’s roles have become crucial, said the editorial, adding that despite their long history with the BJP, both leaders will keep the party’s ambitions in check. Naidu and Kumar will now play a significant role in state and national politics and be the key to controlling the unrest of the past decade, said the editorial, calling it an important responsibility.
A 6 June Inquilab editorial criticised the government for leaving its promises unfulfilled, as well as rising inflation and unemployment, leading to public backlash as the election results have shown. Despite retaining strongholds in some states, the BJP lost Uttar Pradesh and faces future losses if the government does not change its ways, said the editorial while pointing out that Modi has to now depend on other parties to form the government.
A 6 June Sahara editorial asked whether the National Democratic Alliance would accept the leadership of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and bureaucrats from Gujarat. It also asked whether Modi, accustomed to ruling without consultation, could change his approach and run a coalition government in cooperation with other parties. “His associates say that he did not consider consultation necessary for the most crucial and political decisions like demonetisation, GST, and the abrogation of Article 370,” the editorial said.
On 5 June, Sahara asked on its front page whether Nitish Kumar would become the deputy prime minister. Citing sources, it wrote that Congress leaders have contacted the Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief with this offer. An SP leader, it claimed, posted on X that Nitish Kumar will return to the INDIA alliance.
On the same day, an Inquilab editorial said the verdict confirmed that the public will defend the Constitution whenever it’s threatened. The mandate sent a message that ignoring fundamental issues will lead to a loss of political power and that mocking India’s unity, breaking parties and bringing down governments were not appreciated. This, said the editorial, marks the beginning of many future decisions and is welcome.
A 5 June Siasat editorial — “Election results, victory of democracy” —highlighted that while the INDIA alliance didn’t gain power, its potential to form a coalition government remains. INDIA was disappointed with the Bihar results, which needed a review, the editorial said, adding that the BJP faced a major setback in Uttar Pradesh as the Samajwadi Party made a strong comeback. The editorial pointed out that heavy-weight candidates, including Smriti Irani, lost due to arrogance and poor selection as the Congress reclaimed Amethi and Rahul Gandhi won Rae Bareli with a majority larger than Sonia Gandhi had achieved. The UP voters, it added, have indicated that the Ram Temple is no longer a guarantee of success for the BJP and rejected Hindu-Muslim divisive politics.
A 5 June Sahara editorial said that the biggest failure of Narendra Modi’s BJP is that it could not cash in on the Ram Temple for votes. The BJP candidate in Ayodhya’s Faizabad parliamentary constituency faced a humiliating defeat even though the BJP had claimed that it would wipe out not only the Congress but also the SP from UP, said the editorial, lauding the UP voters for proving its claim wrong. “This indicates that the voters of Uttar Pradesh are fed up with the politics of Hindu-Muslim division and will vote on fundamental issues to safeguard their rights,” said the editorial.
A 4 June Sahara editorial, however, also said that it’s a significant achievement of the current government that the longest election ended peacefully. The editorial expressed hope that the peace will continue after the results and emphasised that regardless of which party wins, the victory is of India’s democratic system, allowing people their right to vote. The article contrasted this with neighbouring countries, where democracy is either weak or non-existent, citing China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as examples.
A 1 June Siasat editorial criticised the negative campaign in the seventh phase of elections, which exploited religious sentiments around temples, mosques, and Muslims. The BJP’s ten-year governance record took a backstage, with questions about its promises to generate jobs, fill government vacancies, retrieve black money, control inflation, and prioritise farmers’ loan waivers left unanswered, as the ruling party focused on creating societal divisions instead, the editorial said.
Exit polls, a ‘crude joke’
A 4 June Siasat editorial criticised the exit polls while highlighting discrepancies between exit polls and actual results in the past. It also criticised the media’s bias towards the BJP and emphasised the unpredictability of power shifts in a democracy.
A 3 June Siasat editorial criticised the media and survey companies for exaggerating numbers in exit polls, citing instances such as overestimations in Haryana. Calling them a crude joke on the public and meant to mislead, the editorial noted that the public voted responsibly, and the results would reflect that.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also read: Modi won’t be acceptable to all even if NDA returns to power — Urdu press on Lok Sabha elections