ગુજરાતી
English
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, (Gujarati to Gulag translation)
Low voting percentage is considered against the government. Undercurrent indicates low voting. Due to low voting in the first phase itself, BJP had to change the election issues 7 times in each phase to get the votes of the voters. The 7 phases of election campaign are over. How was the campaign in India then? If we understand how the campaign was in Gujarat, it will be clear who won and who lost.
The important issues raised by the ruling party and opposition leaders are worth understanding. (Except Gujarat, this article is based on news media reports and speeches of leaders on other issues.)
Modi family, 400 plus, Hindu-Muslim divide, Ram temple effect, Ambani-Adani, dynastic politics, changing the constitution were included. BJP had to repeatedly drop the issues. This time BJP itself came down to self-defense instead of attacking the opposition. Therefore, the campaign policy had to be changed again and again. The issues of crossing 400 and Modi family had to be kept aside. Modi removed Article 370 in Kashmir but BJP was not contesting elections here. People in Ladakh were protesting against the Modi government and were ready to show Modi the truth by marching on 4 thousand square kilometers of land taken by China.
Issues like coercion of women in Manipur, world’s biggest election fund scam, Modi’s partner raping 3 thousand women are troubling BJP. This time they had to retreat again and again and change the issues. The low voter turnout in 6 phases shows that there is an anti-incumbency wave. This time Modi was nowhere to be seen. The hatred against Modi was very high.
At the beginning of the election campaign, Modi repeatedly called for crossing 400. However, Congress strongly opposed it and accused the ruling party of changing the Constitution.
Not more than 400, less than 300
Before the election, crossing 400 was the issue. After low voter turnout, he went to Hawaii. For the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP has set a target of 400 seats. Both PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are constantly claiming that BJP is winning 400 seats. Meanwhile, both the ruling party and the opposition were telling the public what the government can do if the NDA gets 400 seats. What was being said was exaggeration. Meetings are predictable but this time it was too much. Which was named Fenku. Only the election results of June 4 will tell whether this slogan benefited the BJP or the opposition spoiled the BJP’s strategy by talking about saving the Constitution.
400 seats, opposition’s formula
More power brings more corruption. A more powerful government is as harmful to the country and society as a weak government. This is the reason why the general public has not supported BJP’s target of 400 seats well. There was indifference in voting. BJP created fear among its supporters that the party is on the verge of defeat.
Modi’s false propaganda
On April 21, in an election rally in Rajasthan, Narendra Modi alleged that if the Congress came to power, it would distribute people’s property among intruders and people with more children. Mangalsutra will also be snatched from women. Modi continued to lie by mocking the statements of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Reservation will be reduced and given to Muslims.
Modi said- I will expose the sins of 7 generations of members of the Indian alliance. In the last phase, Modi did not have any new issue. He was not talking about development, he was talking about destruction.
The day I become Hindu-Muslim, my public life will end and I have resolved that I will not become Hindu-Muslim. But he lied throughout the campaign and talked about dividing Hindus and Muslims.
Religiosity of Manmohan
Former PM Manmohan Singh said- Modi adopted the most disgusting form of hate speech, he lowered the dignity of the post PM Modi has adopted the most disgusting form of hate speech during the election. No Prime Minister in history has spoken such hateful and unparliamentary words to target a particular section of society or the opposition. Modi is the first Prime Minister to lower the dignity and seriousness of the post of Prime Minister.
In 10 years, the BJP government has left no stone unturned to defame the public. Modi has also blamed me for some wrong statements. I have never in my life separated one community from another. Only BJP has the copyright to do so. Congress will protect democracy and the Constitution. This is the last chance to save our Constitution and democracy from the tyrannical government.
Congress leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are saying that PM Modi is lying.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made the three agricultural laws an issue. Congress kept raising the issue of Agniveer Yojana, Modi’s policies, economy, small traders, drug addiction.
Pitroda
Gujarat native and US-based technocrat Sam Pitroda was heavily defamed by the BJP over inheritance tax. After his statement, news organisations were also creating controversy in a way which was helping BJP.
Television and Newspapers
Most of the television channel and print media owners in India were either in favour of BJP or Modi. The owners did not give freedom to the journalists. They used to show the news and programmes which BJP liked. They did not let the truth reach the people.
Modi’s propaganda was running. Hindu and Muslim issues were prevalent. BJP was benefiting from this. YouTube channels which work independently
its owners and journalists used to convey the truth to the public. In this election, a lot of TV viewers turned to YouTube channels.
Hinduism
BJP’s Hindutva politics remained till the end. Opposition and criticism of Muslims was more than the talk of the progress of Hindus. Hindutva, Hindu supremacy, national reconstruction did not go away.
Hindi
The Hindi belt has the highest number of seats and voters, where people turned to BJP due to disillusionment with Hindutva. There are 245 Lok Sabha seats in North India, out of which 226 are in the Hindi belt. Whenever the equation of seats has changed in the Hindi belt, there has been a political change. In the 2019 Lok Sabha, BJP won 178 seats in the Hindi belt. It is important to win more seats in UP. We will not win more seats in Bihar.
Opposition in the party
Even Rajnath, Gadkari and Amit Shah do not want 370 seats. BJP leaders were going against the Modi government and the institution. If the results in the Lok Sabha elections are bad for the BJP, many leaders may leave the party. The party had come to a point where it could not give its support.
In 50 percent of the seats in Gujarat, BJP leaders came out in opposition to their party. This caused a huge damage to the credibility of the BJP. Congress and Aam Aadmi Party were stronger than BJP in 7 seats. Modi’s meetings were dull. Chairs were empty.
A lie
A decade of tenure and exaggerated promises put the BJP in a difficult situation. Voters are well aware of the lies spread by Modi. 60 percent of the voters were focused on inflation and unemployment. BJP could not bring economic issues well. They could not make it an election issue. Many people were fed up with Modi. They are looking for good development. They were looking for people who can open the door to electoral contest. Congress got support from the anger of farmers, wrestlers against BJP.
From MNREGA to Kanya Vidyadhan
National and state level leaders associated with India Alliance, who entered the political fray in the last phase, were advertising grains in exchange for work for MNREGA to Kanya Vidyadhan. The flaws of the expressway were exposed. The opposition was promoting the Kamdhenu scheme, electricity, and the work done in the interest of farmers.
Errors in vote figures
After several days of voting in the first phase, 1 crore votes had increased. The opposition had raised questions about the delay in declaring the final figures of voting by the Election Commission in the Lok Sabha elections. The matter reached the Supreme Court. The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that publishing the figures of polling stations would create chaos in the electoral system.
Interview
In the first 10 days of April before the first phase of voting, Modi held more than 20 rallies and road shows. Interviews were given in news TV channels, print and magazines.
Avatar
Microsoft founder Bill Gates also interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi himself gave information about the interview with Bill Gates on his social media platform X. Gaming creators were met. He visited temples. He called himself an incarnation. Not a biological one.
Revanna sex video
In the third phase, after Modi’s aide Prajwal Revanna’s rape and sex videos with 3000 women came out, the direction of the election campaign changed. The opposition lost the case for BJP’s defeat. Women voters were very angry with BJP.
Several alleged sex videos of former PM HD Devegowda’s grandson and MP from Hassan seat Prajwal Revanna were leaked. His father and MLA HD Revanna was arrested on charges of kidnapping a woman. He was sent to police custody. A day after the polling, on April 27, Prajwal left the country. A ‘Blue Corner’ notice was issued. Congress got an opportunity to attack BJP without doing anything. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah issued an arrest warrant for Prajwal Revanna on May 4. The special thing is that PM Modi himself held a rally in support of Prajwal Revanna and asked for votes.
Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal, who was jailed in the alleged liquor policy scam in Delhi, was released on interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1. The court has given this bail to Kejriwal for election campaigning. After Kejriwal’s acquittal, the entire opposition party Bharat Alliance welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court.
Kejriwal campaigned vigorously and targeted PM Modi, saying, “He (Modi) is turning 75 next September. He is the one who made the rule that people should retire at the age of 75. He is going to retire next year. I ask the BJP, ‘Who is your candidate for the post of Prime Minister?’
The arrest of JMM leader and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has given a political blow to the Bharat camp.
Fifth phase
The stock market was collapsing.
Before the fifth phase of voting, PM Modi has made a prediction about the stock market. In an interview to a TV channel, PM Modi said that after the results of June 4, the Sensex will jump so much that even the programmers of the stock market will get tired. PM Modi said that during his 10-year tenure, the Sensex has made a wonderful journey from 25 to 75 thousand.
Seventh phase
PM Modi conducted 206 election programmes in seven phases. During this period, the Prime Minister addressed more than 80 media meetings.
Gave interviews to TV channels, newspapers, YouTubers and online media.
Votes missing
At many booths, fewer votes were shown in the voter list than before
Some votes were missing. Fake voting had taken place. In such a situation, a different strategy was made for this booth. Money was influential. Community vote banks were openly bought. There was a lot of defection.
TV
The Election Commission has directed immediate action against Odia channel Nandighosha TV for broadcasting exit polls during the elections. Under Section 126A of the RP Act 1951, broadcasting of exit polls is prohibited from 7 am on April 19 to 6:30 pm on June 1.
Election schedule
The Lok Sabha elections were held in 7 phases for 543 seats, the results will come on June 4. The election lasted for 80 days. The Election Commission announced the dates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on March 16. The first phase of voting was held on April 19. The last phase of voting is on June 1. The results will come on June 4.
Along with the Lok Sabha, the dates for the assembly elections of 4 states – Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were also announced.
Election bonds
Electoral bonds worth Rs 14 thousand crore, BJP has Rs. How to collect 7 thousand crore from industrialists was becoming an issue. Allegations were made that the Modi government is collecting money from industrialists by conducting raids. A poor farmer in Gujarat sold his land for Rs. 11 crore. BJP took Rs. 11 crore. This had become a national issue.
Rahul Gandhi targeted Modi over the election bonds and said, “When PM Modi justified the election bonds, his hands were shaking, this is the biggest scam in the world.”
Adani-Ambani
The world knows that the Prime Minister is a true friend of Adani and Ambani. They have helped a lot. Modi has searched for them in Gujarat, the country and the world. But since Adani and Ambani gave money to the Congress in this election, Rahul Gandhi is not speaking against them. This issue was a problem for the BJP.
Modi was calling the Bharat Govt. by the wrong name.
Election manifesto
As soon as the Congress election manifesto started being imposed, Modi started criticising it.
In the Congress Manifesto (New Letter), the Congress promised a statutory guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The oldest party had announced several promises like scrapping the Agniveer scheme and removing the 50 per cent cap on quota for SCs, STs and OBCs, besides reservation in private educational institutions.
The India Block mainly attacked the BJP on inflation, unemployment, farmers’ income, minority issues and electoral bonds. A caste census was also promised along with an economic survey. During the campaign, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge promised free ration to the poor every month and Rahul Gandhi promised to deposit Rs 8,000 every month in the bank accounts of poor women.
The Congress too had released its manifesto on April 5. The manifesto includes 5 justices and 25 guarantees. BJP released its election manifesto on April 14. At the same time, before the first phase of voting, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched the ‘Jail Ka Jawaab Vote Se’ campaign to garner public support for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is lodged in Tihar Jail.
Voting
According to Election Commission data, a total of 65.63 percent voting has taken place in the Lok Sabha elections so far. About 66.14 percent voting was recorded in the first phase of polling on 102 seats in 21 states and union territories on April 19. In the second phase held on April 26, voting took place on 88 seats, in which 66.71 percent voting took place.
Election Commission notice to Congress and BJP
The Election Commission on April 26 issued notices to BJP President JP Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for alleged violation of the code of conduct by their star campaigners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The commission acted on complaints filed by the Congress, CPI and CPI(ML) against Modi’s speech in Banswara, Rajasthan on April 21 referring to Muslims. The commission’s notice was served to Kharge in response to complaints filed by the BJP, which alleged that Rahul Gandhi and Kharge had violated the MCC. A month later, the EC directed BJP’s star campaigners not to make communal speeches and asked opposition leaders to refrain from saying that the Constitution can be repealed.
PM’s rally
The PM started his election campaign from Palanadu in Andhra Pradesh. He ended his election campaign in Hoshiarpur, Punjab on May 30. In this period of 75 days, PM Modi held 180 rallies and road shows. PM Modi held an average of more than two rallies and road shows per day. Before the announcement of elections in March, PM Modi held 15 rallies between February 15 and March 15. (Google translation from Gujarati)
