Excited opposition vs. dismissive Modi regime: The return of the INC

The 2014 elections marked a significant shift in Indian politics. Narendra Modi was in his third term, and the people of India have decided to make him the Prime Minister. He had a full majority. The opposition was decimated. The parliament did not have any leader to oppose the newly elected government. The BJP’s relentless campaign against Rahul Gandhi and the dynasty he represents destroyed his public image beyond recognition. And then his lack of command over any Indian language did not help either. He failed to connect to the masses and continued to commit simple errors that the BJP used to the tilt to dismiss him as a joker who has been propped in the Congress party only because he comes from an illustrious Nehru-Gandhi family. The people were so frustrated with the Congress-led UPA regime that ruled India between 2004-14 that Modi came back with a thumping majority. 

As the saying goes, nothing lasts forever. The good days of Narendra Modi are finally over with the 2024 general elections. Modi's government claimed that it would win more than 400 seats, but the BJP, on its own, could not even reach the majority mark of 272. Remarkably, Modi refused to accept that he no longer holds a brute majority and continues to dismiss the opposition party. The change in numbers forced the government to recognize the leader of the opposition position who holds a cabinet rank. In the first two terms, even the opposition was clueless about how to deal with the Modi government. They have also noticed that the Modi government is dependent on widespread propaganda to keep the voters motivated, and they have failed to change anything on the ground. The government in India, particularly the people who represent the government for the masses, particularly government officers, various government departments, and politicians in power, is as corrupt as it was before Modi became PM. 

Nothing has changed in terms of the experience of the common man in dealing with government departments. You can hardly find any job done in any government department without paying bribes. From top to bottom, from IAS officers to small clerks in all government departments that deal with people directly, everyone openly takes bribes and considers it their right. They consider it their right. They dehumanize the poor and downtrodden on a daily basis. No doubt, Modi gave this nation hope that the VIP culture will end in the country. The corruption will go away. He presented himself as a strong leader who would take control of things. Before him, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was honest. No one questioned his integrity, but he had no control over others who surrounded him. Most of them were corrupt. Ten years after the Modi rule, India has learned that Modi is no different. He himself is brutally honest, but the government of India is corrupt. 

The debates in parliament are particularly fascinating now. Most importantly, every statement politicians make inside parliament reaches the masses through social media. The mainstream media has lost its captive audience during the last ten years. YouTube has emerged as a platform of choice for popular journalists and media organizations to relay their content to the masses. Interestingly, by supporting Reliance Jio, the Modi government reduced the price of mobile internet, making it the world’s cheapest data. People are not dependent on middlemen to know about the politicians and their actions. Social media has eliminated mainstream media. This is also true in the United States, where former President Donald Trump successfully became the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party despite the mainstream media blocking him. 

(Mukesh Devrari)