Political pundits and surveys predict victory of the BJP against the Congress led alliance in India Election 2024. If predictions go true, it will mark the third consecutive term of Narendra Modi as the prime minister of India.
The second phase of voting in the six-week-long polls exercise concluded on Friday. The outcome is said to be decisive for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as voting held in 88 constituencies of 13 states. The constituencies falling in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the strongholds of the ruling party. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress was contesting in the Wayanad – a constituency in southern Kerala state for a second time. He earlier was defeated in 2019 by a popular BJP leader -Smriti Irani – in the northern Indian city of Amethi, the citadel of the the Gandhi family.
A moderate turnout was recorded even when the temperature touches 42 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The turnout was recorded up to 60.96 percent of 160 million eligible voters, the Indian election authorities stated. The reason behind this zeal and zest can be regarded a message of Mr. Modi with his impressive style to promote Hindu nationalist politics in India. “I especially urge our young voters and women to turn out in great numbers. Your vote is your voice,” said Modi in his message. He urged the people to come out and vote in a record number to strengthen democracy.
What democracy he meant though this statement though is better known to him but apparently it seems a call to strengthen Hindu nationalist approach. This though gets strengthened when Mr. Modi’s two consecutive terms as Indian prime minister are analyzed and which mark a transition of secularism to Hinduism. Both of his terms as prime minister showed that none in Indian history advanced this ideology than Modi who once more is being predicted to be the Indian nation’s driver in the elections of 2024.
Modi joined the pro-Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in early 1970 and swiftly rosed as an important figure in the hierarchy of RSSS. He joined the BJP in 1987 and in a year was appointed general secretary of the party’s Gujarat chapter. In 1990 Modi helped the BJP achieve success in the 1995 state legislative assembly. His first political break was in 2001 when was elected as chief minister (CM) of Gujarat.
He served as chief minister till 2014 and was credited for encouraging economic growth. He also faced criticism for not to significantly improve health, poverty and education areas in the index of the state – Gujrat. indices in the state. In the 2014 Indian general election, Modi led the BJP to a parliamentary majority.
His increased direct foreign investment in this time but reduced spending in areas of healthcare, education and social-welfare. He secured premiership again when the BJP won majority in the lections of 2019. Now once gain Mr. Narendra Modi is hopeful to win in 2024 and hold premier’s office for the third time.
Right from the beginning of his main stream political post as chief minister, he emerged as “Butcher of Gujrat,” as he was considered responsible for the 2002 Gujarat riots that reportedly took 2,000 lives, majorly Muslims. Interestingly, the Indian Supreme Court in 2012 found no evidence to prosecute him in this case.
Modi led administration launched an airstrike against Pakistan at an alleged terrorist camp, but failed and lost. He revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir while putting aside all resolution of the United Nations. He introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act, which resulted to Delhi riots in 2020 in which Muslims were brutalized and killed by Hindu mobs. He deprived Jammu and Kashmir’s residents of self-determination and restricted their movement within the region and backed Hindu settlements there.
Killing of Sikh community even their leaders by reaching out of the Indian territory speaks of his extremist approach. His act of victimizing the opposition parties and their leadership before this election is another evidence of his authoritarian approach. The courts are not relieving the jailed opponents. Besides economic development, throughout his carrier as prime minister he seen promoting Hindu culture. His government undertook measures broadly appealing to Hindus such attempting to ban cow slaughtering.
Modi also fulfilled a log-time promise of the BJP to replace Babri mosque with Ram Mandir and presided over the consecration ceremony in January this year. Moreover, under his tenure India experienced the weakening of democratic institutions, individual rights, and freedom of expression. His dreams even captured the national educational system to completely wipe out the remains of Gandhi and Nehru’s secular India. How important is the education of youth to replace an ideology? It is not hidden from world.
Even Today students of a leading and historic educational institution – Ali Garh University – protested how the university’s faculty and staff is being replaced and vacancies are being filled with Hindu staffers. Although, Modi remained a controversial figure domestically and internationally for his Hindu nationalist approach and beliefs, but still it is being perceived that he is going to take the highest executive office in 2024.
These predictions reveal that India at a greater speed is replacing its secular foundations with Hinduism particularly when India is being projected as the worst place for minorities. The media is playing down all this situation that in fact speaks how Modi has weakened the democratic institutions of the Indian state. It is being debated both nationally and internationally that Modi gave Hindu nationalism a populist flavor, and Gujrat model which he actually invented is now spilling over to each corner of this country.
It is being feared even within India that what Mr. Gandhi and Nehru did to establish and practice secularism within the country’s democratic framework was being wiped out; and Modi’s firebrand ideology is now clutching entire India. It looks Hindu nationalism that has been a fringe idea in India is now in the mainstream. None else but this polarizing leader with leaps and bounds advance this cause in India. Now for how long this firebrand ideology persists is obviously something which Indian nation will decide.
(Senior journalist Rana Kashif has authored this opinion)
