Was a great fan of Sagarika Ghose since reading her Blind Faith, but this was the first time, I was reading Rajdeep Sardesai, though always had been listening to him from his NDTV days.
On 23 May 2019, when the results of the general elections were announced, Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA coalition were voted back to power with an overwhelming majority. To some, the numbers of Modi's victory came as something of a surprise; for others, the BJP's triumph was a vindication of their belief in the government and its policies. Irrespective of one's political standpoint, one thing was beyond dispute: this was a landmark verdict, one that deserved to be reported and analysed with intelligence - and without bias. This book does that and seeks to answer the questions - what was it that gave Modi an edge over the opposition for the second time in five years? How was the BJP able to trounce its rivals in states that were once Congress bastions? What was the core issue in the election: a development agenda or national pride? As he relives the excitement of the many twists and turns that took place over the last five years, culminating in the 2019 election results, the author helps the reader make sense of the contours and characteristics of a rapidly changing India, its politics and its newsmakers.
Preface on Madison Madness describes how for his adoring supporters, Modi was almost a deity; people like Zafar Sareshwala who was once against Modi, was a great supporter now, and he with Adani stayed in the same hotel with Modi during his Madison square visit. He was always a great admirer of US and felt that America is truly a great country that India should learn from. So when Washington's decision to ostracize him haunted him. In the Introduction chapter it is said that Modi won with 13Ms, 2Ws, and a GK of success. 13M's being Modi, Machine, Media, Money, Messaging, Marketing, Mobile, Middle Class, Millennials, (anti-)Muslim Majoritarianism, 'Muscular' Nationalism, Masood Azhar, Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance); two Ws - Welfarism and WhatsApp - and a ubiquitous GK for Garib Kisan. Modi with his promise of 'achhe din'(good days) and strong leadership (mazboot neta) became a national alternative by offering a completely polar-opposite persona to that of the then 'accidental' Prime Minister . 'Moditva' brings nation (rashtra), religion (dharma) and jan-kalyan (public welfare) onto one massive common platform, almost crowding out the entire opposition.
Big Boss is here, it was apparent that TsuNamo 2.0 had hit by the noon of 23 May 2019; who flew to Delhi on 22 May 2014 to take over as India's fourteenth prime minister in an Adani Group - owned private jet. His old staff from Gandhinagar CM's office continued to dominate PMO's office, and continued being deeply suspicious of fellow politicians. Example was his own part person Sanjay Joshi, though Modi was PM and Joshi just another leader, but in PM's eyes, Joshi was a rival, who had to be shown his place by sidelining him completely.
Gujarat's Jodi Number one continued to set the stage for Central Election. Amit Shah and Narendra Modi is belived to have first met in 1982 at a meeting organized by RSS in Ahmedabad's Naranpura area. The duo had a very simple formula: before any election in Gujarat they would create a Hindu-Muslim conflict and divide the voters. The Muslim was the permanent 'enemy' and the party would manufacture some small or large incident to communalize the electorate. The internal BJP machinations in Gujarat reveal how personal ambitions coexist uneasily with ideological unity: how a disciplined RSS pracharak can also be an overambitious politician desperate for power. They had also to overcome linguistic pride like for Sena's having a Gujarati dictate terms added to the simmering antagonism.
From 'Suit Boot' Modi became 'Garibo ka Neta'. There was the rise of political Hindu. The aggressive Modi-Shah led BJP doesn't see Hinduism as the spiritual calling of the renunciate, but as a political weapon in their bid to seize power and capture the state. Lynching and hate crimes are common. Life of cow mattered more than Human being. Nehruvian idea of a plural, multi-faith India was under assault as never before. Muslims and minorities were routinely demonized and the political vocabulary of hate 'normalized'. Rahul Gandhi was an enigma. He could not make quick decisions and was loosing key persons like Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, Tarun Gogi' Modi had his advisors, were quick at things, and garnished with grand fanfare all good, and quickly hid anything and everything bad. As election drew nearer, to revenge Pulwama there was the Balakot Effect, the day Priyanka was to be launched. Modi knew how to make best use of 'Prime-time', and drive home the message Modi hai toh Mumkin hai. Gujarat's Jodi Number relish election results like merit list students who enjoy competitive exams and make extensive preparation to remain topper.
720th - 18th of 2020 and 5th of Feb.
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