38 PARLIAMENTARIAN l juLy 2019
Dalit versus OBC. etc. Nehru-Gandhi
family scions Rahul and Priyanka were
seen shuttling Hindu Holy Places.
Akhilesh and Maya were seen refraining
from meeting Muslim clergies and
throwing lavish iftar parties.
Not only that, they also failed
miserably to make GST &
demonetization to occupy centre stage
during the elections. Issue of cow
vigilantism and mob lynching also
failed to gain momentum. Issue of
corruption -Rafael deal – and much
talked about scheme NYAYA also
collapsed without yielding any result.
And it all happened due to aggressive
campaign by the BJP which prevented
these issues to take centerstage. While
erstwhile BJP derived its strength from
the bashing of the Congress and the
Communists for constantly raking up
the issue of minority appeasement and
ignoring Hindu interests. The new BJPderived its strength from its delivery
through the governance. It converted
the whole election campaign as Modi vs
all. Earlier it was Congress vs. others,
now it is BJP vs. others. Modi was
positioned in such a manner that it
outsized everyone. Not only that it
exposed the negative narrative being
pestered against it and turned them into
its strength and built the campaign
block by block. Earlier, it was perceived
that if you are a BJP wala you are
communal. Now, Modi and Shah took
the issue of Nationalism at such a level
wherein everyone talking against BJP
was perceived as Anti National. Theissue of nationalism not only attracted
young voters but also silenced its
detractors. It made a situation wherein
anyone talking against the BJP was
treated as anti-national. The BJP took
the spirit of nationalism on such a high
level that the communal angle failed to
match its intensity and effect on the
electorate. In fact it turned the tide.
Balakot strike was an icing on the cake.
And the entire strategy was designed in
a manner wherein Indian Muslims were
insulated from mischief played on them
by the Congress and third front that
their existence would be in danger if the
BJP comes into power. The BJP did notmodi was posiTioned in such a manner ThaT iT
ouTsized everyone. noT only ThaT, iT exposed
The negaTive narraTive Being pesTered againsT
iT and Turned Them inTo his sTrengThpolitics|the new BJp