5 reasons why BJP came back to power

Pliable media

Elections are no more won just by the rallies or your local poll workers calling on you; it’s won on the 9 o clock primetime and social apps that reach the large growing base of Indian middle class. The corporate media has been very benevolent to Modi, not asking him any serious questions or countering his narrative. In the very few interviews given to friendly channels he gets away with scripted answers and questions on his favorite foods. Add this with his fondness of not addressing press conferences and one way communication through Man ki bhaat, he never has to be answerable.

Unlimited war chest

Lot has been spoken about the three M’ in elections – money, media and muscle. With increased booth monitoring awareness and EVMs the issue of muscle power and booth capturing has been managed. But electoral funding has a step back from transparency, with the introduction of electoral bonds the BJP has found itself with a 989 Cr war chest while Congress comes a distant second with 143Cr. Ofcouse we know they spend a lot more on the ground, but most TV newspaper and google ads that you see come out of this. So does running your own Namo tv. Not to mention the enormous spending of around 5000 Cr of public money on advertising government schemes. Yes those billboards you see in fuel stations and highways cost money.

Age old hidutva

When Vikas fails for the BJP there’s always a falling pad of Hindutva to appeal to its core base. He went a step ahead from placing Yogi Adityanath to nominating a terror accused Pragya Thakur as a candidate. He didn’t win the elections solely on this plank but for the grassroot workers and the RSS sevaks this makes all the difference on ground. Even when Pragya Thakur called Godse a patriot, he went to do a lip service but stopped short of sacking her.

Docile Institutions

Far from crying about political vendetta and interference by CBI while in opposition. Modi government took the role of caged parrot to whole new level. Countless raids on opposition leaders, reopening old cases like the Bofors only to close it again; it doesn’t matter if there evidence behind a FIR, the mere act of filing an FIR and the publicity behind made it look the leaders are culpable. He even made it away with a midnight dismissal of CBI director.

Clueless Opposition

The opposition has always been on the backfoot, atleast since the Balakot attack. BJP took the narrative to new heights that only BJP’s army would win a war. Suddenly people forgot the last three Indo-Pak wars. Add to this the opposition always had some leader putting foot into his mouth questioning the army. The fact that fiasco of Demonetisation, lacks of jobs, the high fuel prices, crony capitalism in Rafael deal, farm distress or the flawed implementation of GST – any one issue could have brought down the government. The fact that the opposition was not able to build over it, made all the difference.