Inside Modi’s battle to win over the south
Political controversies galore are more in South India, with a general tendency against New Delhi, but in particular BJP.
The reason for a strong southern push by Narendra Modi and to take the DMK head-on is to bring nationalism into the mindset of first-time voters against the doctrine of secessionist thinking and regionalism. Modi certainly brought cultural revivalism.
Just look at the number of abuses and vituperative comments hurdled by the six regional parties of Southern India against the BJP and Narendra Modi.
The election campaign is over in South India and everyone eagerly awaits the June 4 poll result.
The regional parties dominating South Indian politics are DMK, YSR Congress, Telugu Desam, Janata Dal (Secular), and Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti.
National parties like BJP and Congress are minimal. Although Congress is ruling Karnataka and Telangana, BJP commanded Karnataka for three terms. Now in Puducherry, BJP is a partner in the government
DMK is the lone regional party that stoutly opposed PM Narendra Modi out of fear that M K Stalin, the Chief Minister foresaw the decimation of Dravidian politics after the complete demolition of Congress, the grand old party of India since the entry of Narendra Modi in 2014 with the slogan Congress Mukht Bharat.
Rahul Gandhi contested from Wayanad but DMK did not campaign for Rahul Gandhi, whereas in 2019 it had projected Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. ADMK walked out of NDA. In one shot the BJP had played to reduce the importance of Edappadi Palaniswami the ADMK leader. Thereby BJP kept M K Stalin as the main opponent. DMK cried foul that Modi was repeatedly visiting Tamil Nadu.
Data showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited 64 times to all six states after the Lok Sabha poll was announced. However, the literacy rate is too high in the south and that could be the reason voters take Rahul Gandhi as an entertainer. Without a policy note like election manifestoes, the leaders speak off-handed manner.
Like the one Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad said on a serious note that ‘khata-khat‘ he would release funds one lakh to the poor. How would Congress get money for this? Will they print currencies like 2000/500 rupee notes?
Be it Narendra Modi comparing Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal leader, or V K Pandian emerging as a successor to Naveen Patnaik, or Arvind Kejriwal‘s liquor scam has a south lobby tie-up, or Rahul Gandhi keeping Wayanad voters in the dark when he filed nomination in Rae Berilly, or Telugu film industries actors engaged in drug rave parties, BJP accusing Jagan Reddy busy in converting Hindus into Christians, Kerala Chief Minister P Vijayan comparing Rahul Gandhi as an entertainer in Kerala politics said that Rahul Gandhi should be defeated in Wayanad.
With pressure mounting to nab absconding JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna wanted in sex abuse cases, the Karnataka government has written to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking cancellation of his diplomatic passport based on an arrest warrant, Congress intentionally blaming it on BJP. Modi in an interview stated that Revanna will not be spared.
With the above background, if one views the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results, from a North Indian prism, one gets scared. Extrapolate to forming a Union government the six Southern states are crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Of course also for Congress, it is not that easy. Still, Congress has two state governments Karnataka and Telangana.
In total 130 MPs from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Karnataka, and Puducherry.
But the BJP is in a stronger position, thanks to the Ram Mandir, ration and the strong leadership of Narendra Modi the BJP does not depend on Southern MP’s support. Interestingly it was the Modi-Amit Shah duo that made it is prestigious issue in 2019 after West Bengal electing 18 MPs for BJP, the duo began to concentrate on the South. In the Hyderabad BJP national executive in July 2022, BJP decided to adopt the ‘Look South policy’ with Telangana first and Tamil Nadu next slogan.
Modi concentrated on Kerala too. Congress accuses CPM of colliding with BJP and both opposite ideological parties joined to get her to defeat Rahul from Wayanad.
So, why would Rahul Gandhi maintain his intention to contest in Rae Bareilly instead of Amethi until the eleventh hour?
Now, turning to another controversy: How did the DMK settle political scores?
Unfortunately, Narendra Modi’s comments on minorities are twisted, especially on Ram Mandir.
The latest is Modi’s comments on Biju Janata Dal leader Naveen Patnaik. How the BJP leaders are up against V K Pandian a Tamilian IAS officer dominating politics of Odhisa. many BJD leaders looked at BJP as an alternative. Many confidants quit Naveen Patnaik. Modi harshly commented on Pandian in the Odhisa poll rally.
Tamilian angle was twisted by DMK.
BJP Tamil Nadu leader said that Tamil Nadu CM Thiru M K Stalin, who lives in a silo surrounded by cheerleaders keeping him distant from happenings inside Tamil Nadu and beyond, talks about matters without understanding the context of what was spoken by Narendra Modi during his campaign in Odisha.
DMK be reminded that dividing people in the name of region, religion, language & caste has been his party’s domain expertise that we are determined to stay away from.
- M K Stalin says PM Modi’s remarks are an insult to Lord Jagannath.
- PM says ‘missing‘ keys of temple’s Ratna Bhandar sent to Tamil Nadu.
- PM’s attack was on V K Pandian, who is from Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “inciting hatred” for his remarks that the “missing” keys of the (treasure trove) in Odisha’s Puri were sent to Tamil Nadu. PM Modi’s remarks were directed toward Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide V K Pandian, who is from Tamil Nadu. Though these six regional parties contradict themselves on river water sharing, but come closer to liquor scams like that Kavitha, and Arvind Kejriwal duo. Almost all states in the south admire Yogi Adityanath’s style of politics. Among south youth Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi, and Hemanta Biswa Sarma are darlings of college students in South India
Modi in poll rallies extensively focused on the sand mafia and drug mafia. Children racketeering drug menace in Tamil cinema. Involving heroes and heroines. Whatever is said and done, the BJP and Modi tried to rewrite politics in southern states. With heavy south push by Modi somehow brought down the influence of Congress and Rahul Gandhi at least in political rallies speeches and poll campaign road shows.
Will the BJP succeed? June 4 will throw up the answers.
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