Narendra Modi vs the Dynasty: Contrasting Ideas of India

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 25 Jan 2014 18:39

Terror threat: Modi at most risk among netas

The Union home ministry has decided to issue a prior high-security alert to every state where BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is due to address a rally, as the chief minister of Gujarat faces multiple threats from pan-Islamic and Sikh fundamentalist terrorist groups.

Modi faces threats from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Kashmiri terrorist groups like the Hizbul Mujahideen, the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and ex-cadres of the Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi). He is under the maximum risk among all VVIP Indian politicians, say top UP police and internal security establishment sources.

The red alert was issued to the police in Uttar Pradesh (UP) on January 21, two days before the Gorakhpur rally, with terrorist spotters with former links to indigenous terror groups, and sniper shooters mingling with the crowd.

Hyder Ali alias Abdulla alias Shaqoor, a resident of Aurangabad in Bihar, was out to target Modi and is said to have travelled from Lucknow to Gorakhpur on January 11, according to the January 21 terror alert accessed by HT.

Hyder, an IM terrorist, is a prime accused in the October 27 blasts at Modi’s rally in Patna, along with the Bodh-Gaya-blast-accused Tahseem Akhtar alias Monu. The Gujarat chief minister is under threat from both Hyder Ali and Akhtar .

“IM cadres arrested after Patna blast from Ranchi confirm that Hyder has conducted reconnaissance of Kanpur before Modi’s October 19 rally. It was only after he found security arrangements were tight that the IM decided to target the Patna rally, where the arrangements were found to be lax,” said a senior UP official.

A threat letter was received in a Gorakhpur mosque on January 16, which pushed the UP anti-terror squad into action to prevent any threat to Modi’s rally.

According to the alert, Abu Faisal alias Doctor, the ex-SIMI man who escaped Khandwa jail on October 1 with five others and was re-captured on December 24, was in touch with Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Taliban to target Modi. The five fugitives are: Mohammed Aslam Khan, Sheikh Mehboob, Mohd Aijazuddin, Zakir and Amzad Khan.

The alert says that while Pakistani ISI was pushing LeT leader Hafiz Saeed to target Modi, Sikh terrorists like Lakhbir Singh Rode of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation and Jagtar Singh Tara of the Khalistan Tiger Force were asked by the ISI in November 2013 to go for the Gujarat CM.

“Given that the Lok Sabha elections are round the corner, the government can’t afford to take a chance with Modi’s security as he is in the cross-hairs of major terrorists group. Both arrested IM key operative Yasin Bhatkal and his colleague Asadullah Akhtar aka Haddi have confirmed the threat to Modi,” said a senior home ministry official.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 25 Jan 2014 18:52

First time since 1999 BJP leading in rural areas over Congress.Big takeaway from CSDS national tracker

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 25 Jan 2014 19:36

I hope some sense comes to those state leaders to align with nationalist forces instead of helping the opposite. TDP, ADMK, BJD should think of pre-poll alliances with BJP and not deprive nation of a historic opportunity to shut down dynasty for ever. TDP is joining. However ADMK and BJD are having different opinions. Mamta, Maya and others have their local reasons. It is pure ambition in case of ADMK and arrogance/cognitive dissonance/sell out in case of BJD.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 19:57

I was looking at the IT-C-voter numbers I think with a TDP alliance in SA+T and DMDK alliance in TN and a further push in UP, BH and some other areas it is possible to get 272+.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 25 Jan 2014 20:16

Even if BJP, ADMK were to ally with lotus, it suits everybody to keep it all hush hush... the nameless agencies currently serving the dynasty are keeping tabs on their every meeting, move, email, SMS, phone call, bathroom break etc after all....

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 20:25

Hari Seldon wrote:Even if BJP, ADMK were to ally with lotus, it suits everybody to keep it all hush hush... the nameless agencies currently serving the dynasty are keeping tabs on their every meeting, move, email, SMS, phone call, bathroom break etc after all....

I think they should align with DMDK. Coz the %age vote is higher for BJP and it will get to contest more seats. The alliance %age with PMK and MDMK is closer to AIADMK. Further, a third front in TN will be good for long term expansion. Besides Jaya is mercurial and may hamper the Govt as in 1998.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 25 Jan 2014 20:33

Supratik wrote:I was looking at the IT-C-voter numbers I think with a TDP alliance in SA+T and DMDK alliance in TN and a further push in UP, BH and some other areas it is possible to get 272+.

Don't be surprised post elections NDA has 300+ seats.

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 25 Jan 2014 20:34

Supratik wrote: I think they should align with DMDK. Coz the %age vote is higher for BJP and it will get to contest more seats. The alliance %age with PMK and MDMK is closer to AIADMK. Further, a third front in TN will be good for long term expansion. Besides Jaya is mercurial and may hamper the Govt as in 1998.

I am hearing from the grapevine that BJP is building a BJP+MDMK+PMK+DMDK+KMK+IJK alliance. MDMK and IJK have already aligned and PMK and KMK are falling in line. Big Q is DMDK.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 25 Jan 2014 20:38

Not a single survey has put BJP less than 200+ average. If the momentum survives until end of February then we are seeing a 230 for BJP along. Shopping for 45 more is no big deal. Dynasty will end.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 25 Jan 2014 20:40

Muppalla wrote:Not a single survey has put BJP less than 200+ average. If the momentum survives until end of February then we are seeing a 230 for BJP along. Shopping for 45 more is no big deal. Dynasty will end.

Which surveys Sir? I am yet to see a single survey which puts BJP above 200.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 25 Jan 2014 20:45

prahaar ji
CNN-IBN put 192-210, c-voter times put 188 to 210, Now means 15 mins ago ABP-Nielsen put 210 for BJP alone. I hope as promised muraliravi/nageshks will decipher and put a chart of charts.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 25 Jan 2014 20:50

Muppalla wrote:prahaar ji
CNN-IBN put 192-210, c-voter times put 188 to 210, Now means 15 mins ago ABP-Nielsen put 210 for BJP alone. I hope as promised muraliravi/nageshks will decipher and put a chart of charts.

I missed this, had seen only the previous surveys (CVoter, etc).

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 20:54

Can we have the abp-nielsen nos?

member_28397 · Post by **member_28397** » 25 Jan 2014 21:25

Atleast 3 different surveys are showing that BJP under Modi is getting more seats than Vajpayee could manage. Survey in 2004 showed BJP getting 200+. It resulted in two things - complacency amongst BJP leaders and BJP voters, counter-mobilization particularly amongst Muslims.

High voter turnout absolutely critical for BJP and India as I suspect already a counter mobilization campaign is in process.

SanjayC · Post by **SanjayC** » 25 Jan 2014 21:28

Survey in 2004 showed BJP getting 200+. It resulted in two things - complacency amongst BJP leaders and BJP voters, counter-mobilization particularly amongst Muslims.

It was EVM fraud. Complacency, last-minute mobilization of Muslims etc. are convenient after-thoughts to justify the act.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 25 Jan 2014 21:39

ABP Nielson has not yet put out the vote shares nor was it shown on their channel except for UP/Bihar, here are the seats.

Kerala:
Left 11 Cong+9

AP:
YSRC 22 Cong 4 TRS 9 TDP 5 MIM 1 Others 1

KA
Cong 10 BJP 15 JDS 3

TN
ADMK 24 DMK 11 BJP 1 Cong 1 Rest 2

WB
TMC 26 CPM 10 Cong 2 CPI 1 RSP 1 Others 2

Haryana
BJP 6 HJC 1 INLD 1 AAP 1

Rajasthan
BJP 20 Cong 5

Gujarat
BJP 19 Cong 7

Maharashtra
BJP 19 SS 8 Cong 8 NCP 8 MNS 3 RPI 1 AAP 1

Madhya Pradesh
BJP 24 Cong 4 BSP 1

Chhattisgarh
BJP 10 Cong 1

J&K
BJP 1 Cong 1 NC 2 PDP 1 Ladakh IND 1

Punjab
BJP 4 SAD 5 Cong 4

HP
BJP 4 Cong 0

Uttaranchal
BJP 5 Cong 0

Delhi
AAP 6 BJP 1

Jharkhand
BJP 12 Cong 0 Other 2

Orissa
BJD 14 BJP 4 Cong 3

Assam
Cong 9 BJP 1 AGP 2 AUDF 2

Arunachal
BJP 1 Cong 1

Nagaland
NPF 1

Mizoram: Cong 1; Meghalaya: Cong 1, Others 1; Manipur: CPM 1, Others 1

Bihar
BJP: 24 Cong: 2 JDU: 6 RJD 5 LJP 1 Others 2

Uttar Pradesh
BJP 35, BSP 15, SP 14, Cong+RLD 12, AAP 2, Others 2

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 21:39

CTs apart 2004 suggests it is not done till we get the final results.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 25 Jan 2014 21:41

BJP is some how downplaying issue of evm

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 21:45

What has happened to Delhi electing AAP for CG when they haven't even ruled Delhi for 100 days?

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 25 Jan 2014 21:46

ABP News ‏@abpnewstv 51m

#ABPNews nationwide opinion poll: NDA clear winner with 226, UPA stuck at 101 http://www.abplive.in/incoming/2014/01/ ... uck-at-101 …

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 25 Jan 2014 21:49

Minhaz Merchant ‏@minhazmerchant 59m

AAP won power on an anti-corruption plank. So how come it's deafeningly silent on the biggest scams of the decade?
--->
AAP doesn't say a word on 2g, coalgate, AgustaWestland, National Herald/Young Indian. And on #cwg only reluctantly
--->
Is AAP protecting big Congress corruption & diverting voters with midnight raids on African women?

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 21:56

OK, if these are the abp nos it can go up by 30-40. If there are alliances in TN and AP it can go up by another 5-10.

disha · Post by **disha** » 25 Jan 2014 22:02

muraliravi wrote:ABP Nielson has not yet put out the vote shares nor was it shown on their channel except for UP/Bihar, here are the seats.

Kerala:
Left 11 Cong+9

AP:
YSRC 22 Cong 4 TRS 9 TDP 5 MIM 1 Others 1

KA
Cong 10 BJP 15 JDS 3

TN
ADMK 24 DMK 11 BJP 1 Cong 1 Rest 2

WB
TMC 26 CPM 10 Cong 2 CPI 1 RSP 1 Others 2

Haryana
BJP 6 HJC 1 INLD 1 AAP 1

Rajasthan
BJP 20 Cong 5

Gujarat
BJP 19 Cong 7

Maharashtra
BJP 19 SS 8 Cong 8 NCP 8 MNS 3 RPI 1 AAP 1

Madhya Pradesh
BJP 24 Cong 4 BSP 1

Chhattisgarh
BJP 10 Cong 1

J&K
BJP 1 Cong 1 NC 2 PDP 1 Ladakh IND 1

Punjab
BJP 4 SAD 5 Cong 4

HP
BJP 4 Cong 0

Uttaranchal
BJP 5 Cong 0

Delhi
AAP 6 BJP 1

Jharkhand
BJP 12 Cong 0 Other 2

Orissa
BJD 14 BJP 4 Cong 3

Assam
Cong 9 BJP 1 AGP 2 AUDF 2

Arunachal
BJP 1 Cong 1

Nagaland
NPF 1

Mizoram: Cong 1; Meghalaya: Cong 1, Others 1; Manipur: CPM 1, Others 1

Bihar
BJP: 24 Cong: 2 JDU: 6 RJD 5 LJP 1 Others 2

Uttar Pradesh
BJP 35, BSP 15, SP 14, Cong+RLD 12, AAP 2, Others 2

The above numbers bring BJP itself to 208. Numbers of ABP on Guj. and Delhi are jokes - Guj. min. 21 and max. 25 (out of total 26)., and 6 for AAP in Delhi? I should be reverse. So taking the above numbers from ABP and applying my own filter on it - it is 216 for BJP itself. That is a great performance so early in the game.

debadutta · Post by **debadutta** » 25 Jan 2014 22:18

Not sure if this takes into account the potential tie up between con and rjd and ljp. If not then if you take this into account bjp s seats from bihar will reduce. Similarly if con some how manages to tie up with bsp then bjp will be impacted. Wonder if this is a ploy to generate false sense of security in bjp , similar to 2004.

archan · Post by **archan** » 25 Jan 2014 22:24

AAP numbers are from before the unlaw minister vigilantism and tamasha-e-dharna.
Things can change in 3 months, so one has to keep an eye on ther required run rate and keep ploughing a-la sir jadeja. A final push in the last over will be crucial as well.

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 25 Jan 2014 22:27

disha wrote:

The above numbers bring BJP itself to 208. Numbers of ABP on Guj. and Delhi are jokes - Guj. min. 21 and max. 25 (out of total 26)., and 6 for AAP in Delhi? I should be reverse. So taking the above numbers from ABP and applying my own filter on it - it is 216 for BJP itself. That is a great performance so early in the game.

Disha

They have also not provided numbers for goa and UT's, so please add 5 to the 208.

Now word of caution, usually every survey overestimates a couple of states and underestimates a couple. So i would just take the total instead of increasing gujarat or delhi. Someone can say Jharkhand is overestimate and orissa 4 is impossible.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 22:40

Correct, we should take the mean of opinion polls. Statewise there are wide variations e.g. Assam, JH, HY. Things could change in BH if there is a INC+RJD+LJP alliance. I think BSP may not gain much from INC even if the latter does in an alliance.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 25 Jan 2014 22:56

We should take poll of polls for each state and add that instead of poll of polls of th total.

M Joshi · Post by **M Joshi** » 25 Jan 2014 22:59

Watch: teaser of 4D biopic on Narendra Modi

After it was confirmed that a biopic on Gujarat’s chief minister Narendra Modi was underway, some reports said that actor Paresh Rawal was keen on playing the politician in the film.

The reports also claimed that he was interested in co-producing this movie. However, the biopic’s producer, Mitesh Patel, denies this news. "Paresh is 99% confirmed to play the lead. As for producing the film, after initial talks, I didn’t hear from him at all. So nothing has been finalised on that front. If things head in that direction, we’ll take a call while we are shooting," says Mitesh.

The film is expected to go on the floors on February 15.

Director Rupesh Paul has been brought on board for the biopic. Mitesh adds, "Paresh is keen on playing the role, but we need to sort out the dates. We will stick to the schedule as we don’t want to delay things. By next week, we will have a clear picture of the rest of the cast too."

Incidentally, Mitesh has some ambitious plans for this movie, as he wants to release it in 4D in certain theatres. "The 4D technology will simulate rain, wind, lightning in the theatre. The audience will be able to experience smell, smoke, air bubbles and more," says Mitesh, who will be working with a Korean company to make this happen.

He also plans to equip the theatres with the needed technology. "We’ll spend about Rs. 18 lakh per theatre to make sure the Indian audience enjoys the film like the international audience. Modi is popular abroad too and distributors are interested," says Mitesh.

If they start shooting on Feb 15, I hope it will be ready to release by 15th April. A good opportunity to use. Name of the movie/biopic: NAMO "India's most powerful leader on celluloid".
Below is a teaser trailer.

To be released in 3000 cinemas.

From other news:

US based filmmaker Mitesh Kumar Patel’s upcoming film is based on the life of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. While veteran actor Paresh Rawal will reprise the older version of the BJP leader, Mitesh Kumar has approached Vivek Oberoi to play the younger version of the minister on the big screen. “While tossing ideas about who can play the young Narendra Modi, we all thought Vivek Oberoi was a good choice. He is keen to experiment with his roles and this will give an ideal opportunity for him” said the filmmaker while taking to a tabloid.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 25 Jan 2014 23:00

I still think IBTL poll and 5forty3 polls are more accurate than these big agencies because they have large sample sizes. 5forty3 is actually surveying each constituency

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Jan 2014 23:03

Are their numbers out?

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 25 Jan 2014 23:12

Ibtl was out in the first week of Jan. I posted in election thread

muraliravi · Post by **muraliravi** » 25 Jan 2014 23:23

Muppalla wrote:We should take poll of polls for each state and add that instead of poll of polls of th total.

As discussed before i will collate all polls and also polls done 6 months earlier to see a trend. Will be done in a day or two.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 26 Jan 2014 02:26

http://news.yahoo.com/third-indian-vote ... 41555.html

Check out the comments

Some westerners and Paki

Robert Thomas 57 minutes ago 2 0
India is a third world sh|t hole, and always will be

Javed 1 hour ago 2 0
Yes,bhindians deserve this curse of humanity ,the butcher of gujjurat, Neanderthal Moozie ,i hope he gets the chair (electric one to be more precise) and it will start the inevitable balkanization of balatkaristan for good!

Watch out for young Paki to pretend to participate in Indian election and voting and fool other Indians

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 26 Jan 2014 03:26

Acharya wrote:http://news.yahoo.com/third-indian-vote ... 41555.html

Check out the comments

Some westerners and Paki

10 to 1 positive comments from what I can see. There will always be the odd brown or white paki but that's the order of the universe, what to do. I would be worried if Modi did not inspire fear.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 26 Jan 2014 04:42

nageshks wrote:This idea has been around since 1950s. The Communists first tried to build a coalition based on class, rather than caste. So, by the way, did the Naxalites (people should remember the Naxalite movements of the late 60s and early 70s), and the early socialists. Communism was finished off by caste (and community) based voting. Is it going to be a revolution, i.e., a full circle and we end where we began? However, caste based politics is not going to go away. And in fact, community based politics is likely going to intensity in many areas which are already flash points - all it needs is one strong push to send it careening all over India.

Also, the idea of people with no stake in the system is rather flawed. Naxalites are the only ones with no stake at all in the system. A few idiotic youth might also chase that mirage (as they did in the 1970s). But today, India is growing much faster than it did in the past, so the number of people with no stake in the system is actually much smaller than it ever was.

The drivers, cooks, and maids (the urban poor, in short) may, at first sight, look like people with no stake in the system, but if their employers disappear, they are the ones who are going to get hammered very sharply, especially in the short run. The rural poor are too disorganised (and the Naxalites have tried to organise them into a critical mass for more than 40 years, but failed), and what is more, rural exploitation treads a fine line. The peasant is oppressed, but not to the point where he rebels. So, development based politics, rather than making the poor feel they have no stake in the system, would actually give them more stake in the system. This is what has been happening in Gujarat, MP and Chhattisgarh. Around a core of Hindutva, with the OBCs at the heart, and UCs around that core, with some socialism (to keep discontent of the poor at bay), there has been more and more development, with more and more people with a stake in the system. Of course, it is inevitably mixed in caste politics (it would not be India otherwise).

The idea that an anti-corruption movement can transmogrify into a socialist movement based on doles and freebies and can extend it in a way as to make existing equations irrelevant is not very credible. Casteist, and regional parties are here to stay, since they represent specific interests.

I don't agree with Jagannathan in the entirety of his article, but I found it a fascinating read for some of the details. Yes, I agree that the class vs caste idea is nothing new. I think Jagannathan missed something else: AAP is similar to the parties they criticize in another way - they are more talk than action. The Congress talks about a big inclusive tent for all. In reality they're a clinical divide and rule party. AAP talks about anti-corruption, but in reality they're a bunch of uncouth bhaiyyas running amok drunk on power. In either case the issue is the same - some ideas sound great on paper but the implementation is terrible, caught in the same human failings.

The reason Modi gets so much attention is that he's already been through a lot of trials and tribulations, and has still not lost his original abilities or motivations. People respect his strength of conviction and ability to put his head down and get things done, even if they don't agree with everything about him, or know or care about every bit of his message. They like the fact that he puts his head down and gets things done without seeking everyone's approval all the time. The recent poll survey indicating how much 'communalism' as an issue affecting him has decreased, is quite telling.

The BJP on its own would never be such a strong challenger in these polls. They'd be quite incompetent, in fact. They owe their current popularity to Modi. People will vote for lotus to get Modi in power, even if they don't really care for lotus otherwise. The BJP should not forget that, because they still have a lot to fix within the party. As a party they're yet to get over 2004, and all their current momentum is due to one man and the attention he commands of the country. The last time India 'voted for the man' was back in Indira's or Nehru's days. Even Rajiv came in largely on a sympathy vote instead of anything to do with himself, since he was an unknown. In BJPs last administration people voted for the movement, not specifically for ABV as is the case now.

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 26 Jan 2014 05:16

Suraj wrote: The reason Modi gets so much attention is that he's already been through a lot of trials and tribulations, and has still not lost his original abilities or motivations. People respect his strength of conviction and ability to put his head down and get things done, even if they don't agree with everything about him, or know or care about every bit of his message. They like the fact that he puts his head down and gets things done without seeking everyone's approval all the time. The recent poll survey indicating how much 'communalism' as an issue affecting him has decreased, is quite telling.

The BJP on its own would never be such a strong challenger in these polls. They'd be quite incompetent, in fact. They owe their current popularity to Modi. People will vote for lotus to get Modi in power, even if they don't really care for lotus otherwise. The BJP should not forget that, because they still have a lot to fix within the party. As a party they're yet to get over 2004, and all their current momentum is due to one man and the attention he commands of the country. The last time India 'voted for the man' was back in Indira's or Nehru's days. Even Rajiv came in largely on a sympathy vote instead of anything to do with himself, since he was an unknown. In BJPs last administration people voted for the movement, not specifically for ABV as is the case now.

There is a second factor to NaMo's popularity. Ever since Manmohan Singh's image shattered, there has been no one to espouse the governance/economy vote. If you think back, what the BJP is doing today is very similar to what they tried to do in the early 80s (1980 and 1984 elections). When the Janata party split up in the aftermath of the fall of Morarji Desai's government, what emerged as the BJP was the combination of most of the Jan Sangh (which was all about protection of the interests of the Indics - I won't say Hindus, because Jan Sangh fought as much for the rights of the Sikhs and Jains as the Hindus) and much of the Swatantra Party (which was all about right wing economics, governance, individual rights, etc). In the early 80s, the BJP attempted to fight elections exactly on the plank they are doing now - a combination of Indic interests, good governance and developmental economics. However, owing to the fact that the 80 and 84 elections centred around two very emotive issues (80 was all about disgust with the Janata Party components and an extreme sense of betrayal about the way they had fallen apart and 84 was all about sympathy for Indira Gandhi's death), their experiment failed. Then it was centred around some capable administrators like Vajpayee, Sikander Bakht, Shekhawat, etc (and believe me, this bunch was at least as capable as NaMo).

However, by the late 80s, the Hindu part had more or less completely dominated the governance part. People only saw the BJP as the `Indic party', a bunch of crazy saffronites, who were all about bashing the minorities, etc. In one sense, given what India was going through in the late 80s (Shah Bano, Babri Masjid mess started by the Congress, Mandal, etc), it was needed. But, nevertheless, BJP's Ram temple agenda received more attention than their economic policies, and people voted because they emotionally identified with the Hindutva. When Vajpayee government failed to do anything with regard to the Hindutva agenda, there was widespread disenchantment, and the two subsequent elections (2004 and 2009) were lost.

Today, what has happened is that both the Hindutva and the governance parts have been united in the person of NaMo in a sensible whole. He is showing the way forward, and has been able to balance both the Hindu interests and the governance+business interests. This is a great thing in that the man, as long as he is around, will probably be able to unite the two parts within himself. But what we need (and what has already begun happening - people like Chauhan, Raman Singh, Manohar Parrikar, and Gen. Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri, etc) is a whole horde of people in whom the two sides can be united and balanced. Consequently, he is not only getting the Hindutva people to volunteer and help with his campaign, he has also been able to take the Swatantra Party type people with him. This is the secret behind the lotus blossoming in the south. While much of the south has never been hot about Hindutva, it is always very interested in good governance. While many south Indians are devout Hindus in personal life, few are enamoured about wearing their religious identity on their sleeve. My sister who is with her in-laws in Kozhikode tells me that there are more BJP flags than any other party's in a city that is a Communist bastion. Centred around business interests, who will also help Hindutva within limits (many minorities are not inimical to Hindu interests), the BJP can become the true right wing party in Indian politics, and what is happening is what I had always hoped would happen - the amalgamation of the Swatantra party and the Jan Sangh parts into one unified coherent force.

Now it is for NaMo to give further direction to this unified group, that has genuine reverence for him, and also fashion the party into an economically sound, culturally strong force, that can take with it all nationalists. He should focus on building a team of competent people, particularly for CMs and ministers of states (this is the pool from which further talent will be drawn). The PM should be the first among equals, with an extremely capable team around him.

I wish NaMo all the best.

Rupesh · Post by **Rupesh** » 26 Jan 2014 06:12

^
Great post Nageshks

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 26 Jan 2014 06:27

nageshks wrote: He is showing the way forward, and has been able to balance both the Hindu interests and the governance+business interests.

Very good post, Nagesh ji.

In addition to "Hindu interests" & "governance + business interests" I would also add an overall leader persona + Oratory style that works on a pan-India basis. Considering the vastness and diversity of India (much more so than many continents) - having all of this together in one person is actually a fairly tall ask. Which is why I am not so sanguine that there will be too many Modilets anytime soon... But the party certainly has to try and generate these Modilets.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 26 Jan 2014 07:10

Very good post nageshks. I would like the BJP to take up the mantle of the erstwhile Swatantra Party and the Jan Sangh. However they have not really done so. All of their competence and popularity centers upon one man right now, at the national level. They're doing much better at the state level, where they have a collection of leaders who espouse a similar governance + Indic base - Shivraj Singh Chouhan in MP and Raman Singh in C'garh for example. However, they cannot win at the national level consistently without a broader base of leaders following the same political position.

People are not voting for or against BJP in this GE. They're voting for/against Modi. For just 2014, that is fine, but the BJP cannot be complacent today, or even in the aftermath of potentially winning the elections with a sizeable majority, because their strength would center around one man.

Between 2004 and 2012-13, can one honestly explain what the difference between BJP and Congress was at the national level, other than names ? They never were a good opposition in Parliament, and I would rate the CPI(M) within UPA-1 as a better opposition party, in fact

The BJP should let go of its inhibitions and take up the right-of-center inclusive Indic position with an emphasis on governance and economic growth, whole heartedly. The Swatantra Party itself may have been too far ahead of its time, without a demographic base to support their stand, but India in 2014 would benefit greatly from a revival of their economic policies.

Glad to hear the anecdote about Kozhikode. It is a communist/ML bastion, so the growth of the BJP there is a very heartening development. Kerala has a collection of OBC+UC+non-proselytizing Christian groups who would together constitute a great long term BJP base. It won't happen overnight, but when it does, it will be potent.