It was a slow and steady walk for the then BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, in 2014. Step by step, district by district and region by region – he set out addressing his rallies and convincing people to vote for his party.
Though the people liked him instantly thanks to his good oratory skills, his chances of overthrowing the Congress, which had been ruling the country for 10 years, appeared grim. But this man did not lose hope. In a sudden usher, he dethroned the Indian National Congress (INC) from the Centre – and gradually, almost from the whole nation, as it would seem now.
The Congress, which is the oldest party in India, was also the strongest for a long time. It held on to its reign strongly, decade after decade. It again won two consecutive elections in 2004 and 2009. Unfortunately, it also incurred a number of serious crimes in its book.
Therefore, it was not surprising when it was eventually defeated in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The efforts of the rising star of the BJP, Narendra Modi, swept off the Congress with a massive win. That was an unbelievable victory for the BJP – and surely, a lesson for the Congress.
The Congress still had not seen the bad days, which were yet to come. With innovative and ambitious schemes, steady development and by garnering praises all around, Narendra Modi took the party to the pinnacle of its success, slowly winning over the whole country.
Today, barring six states ruled by other parties and a mere four states under the Congress, the BJP is heading all the other Indian states. This in itself is a remarkable feat for any political party in this multi-party democratic country.
It is said that in a war, an enemy tries all possible tricks to win the battle. This is what recently happened in Gujarat too. Gujarat was already under BJP’s rule. But this time, it faced a stiff competition when three powerful leaders came together under the Congress’ banner. They could have won, as, in my opinion, BJP was only a mile away from losing.
But as they say, the truth needs no ally. The faith Modi enjoyed among the people, since the time of his long reign as the state’s chief minister, came in handy and led the party to victory. Ultimately, the BJP succeeded in retaining Gujarat amidst the stiff competition.
The Congress is not having a good time fighting the odds and also trying to win over the hearts of the public all over the country. They are losing all states, one by one. To add to this, the BJP also successfully snatched back Himachal Pradesh, which had been won by the Congress in the last elections. It does not seem that they are ready to accept any defeat anytime soon.
The reason behind these electoral results can be various – some of which are complex and are better analysed by experts. However, to a commoner’s eye, it seems that the people are wise enough to choose what’s right for them. In my opinion, the atrocities in the two terms of the Congress in the Centre, compared to the BJP’s performance in its first term, is enough to speak volumes.
Unfortunately, the Congress is now headed by a man who, I think, barely has a sense of his words – even in the rallies which have thousands of listeners. That development will be bleak under such leadership, is an undisputed fact. The BJP, on the other hand, has overwhelming public support, thanks to Modi’s aura and charisma which has been converted well into the progress for the country.
I don’t think people are ready to give up their fates to the rule of Rahul Gandhi yet. Modi has proved himself, time and again. The states under the BJP’s rule seem to be flourishing – and the Congress needs to work really very hard if it wants to get back the ‘kingdom’ it has lost.
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