Time for Modi 3.0

We are already into the election month for the biggest democratic festival in the world. The 2024 General Elections are starting on 19 April and will conclude on 1 June, to be conducted in 7 phases. Elections in India are generally a very happening time when there are loud and noisy debates at every nook & corner. With the evolution of social media, the forums might have shifted online but the nature of these discussions remains the same - which party is going to win, who is going to be the next Prime Minister et al. Many people and journalists are saying it's a relatively dull election season where either the people are uninterested or there is not a lot of suspense. The political setup in India has become very radical lately, where you are either pro-Modi or anti-Modi. However, the nuances of an election, such as candidate selection, campaign themes, rallies, etc. have still retained their charm.

BJP, with the face of Narendra Modi, won decisive mandates in the 2014 and 2019 General Elections. The campaign theme for BJP this time is - "Abki baar 400 paar". While it is going to be heavy lifting for the BJP led NDA coalition to cross the humongous figure of 400 out of 543 Loksabha seats going to the polls, a majority of only 273 seats is required to form the government. All major opinion polls have forecasted another brute majority for Narendra Modi in the 2024 General Elections. Opposition parties tried to forge a united front in the form of an INDIA alliance. However, the contradictions among different regional parties and Congress were too big to bridge and pose a serious threat to the Modi wave. 

Indian politics has undergone multiple phases of transformation. Till 1990, the winning coalition would generally win big. Between 1990 and 2014, no single party was able to get a majority on its own. The charisma and persona of Narendra Modi was able to break the jinx, not once but twice, and on both occasions, BJP increased its tally. Under Modi and Shah, the BJP has become an election machine, doing ruthless politics 24*7 leaving no stone unturned. While Congress has lost its space in many states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal; BJP on the other hand, has ambitiously campaigned in the states it has been weak in the past, Tamil Nadu being the most prominent example. But it is a case study in itself of how Narendra Modi is still relevant in Indian society even after a fatigue of 10 years. What has Narendra Modi achieved in the last 10 years that the people are yet again ready to vehemently elect him to power?

I have identified 10 broad themes where Narendra Modi has really delivered on his promise and hence, so confident of coming back with a bigger majority. 

National Security

Nationalism is a major poll plank for the BJP. Under Congress led governments, terror attacks and bomb blasts used to be a common nuisance. Narendra Modi has projected his image extensively as a staunch nationalist who will never compromise on India's security front. Be it the surgical strikes or air strikes conducted inside Pakistan's territory or eliminating the fear of terror attacks from the minds of the common man, Modi has indeed strengthened India's national security apparatus. Eradicating militancy from Jammu & Kashmir itself has been one of the biggest achievements of this government. Even to a neutral voter, Modi comes across as a strongman on the national security front.

Infrastructure Development

Infrastructure is one of the direct reflections of a government's impact on people's daily lives. While many might argue the pace of infrastructure growth, Modi government has indeed accelerated the pace and scale of infra projects across all sectors - road, rail, air, and water. Nitin Gadkari has been one of the most popular ministers in the Modi cabinet as the Minister of Road Transport and Highways. The rate of highway construction has exponentially increased in this regime, even in the most remote parts of North-East and northern India. Multiple expressways and corridors have been constructed across the country. Electrification of rail routes, modernization of railways through indigenous Vande Bharat trains, a dedicated freight corridor are all quite noticeable. This government also multiplied the number of airports across the country, connecting even small towns to the air routes. 

Prominent Global Image

To a large section of aspirational Indians, the appeal of PM Modi is attributed to his foreign policies and personal involvement in India's foreign relations. Even in this turmoil geopolitical setup where we have wars ongoing in Ukraine and the Middle East, India continues to maintain its bilateral ties with all its partners. Our trade volumes have gone up, free trade agreements are being discussed with major countries, and we have got diplomatic support on so many strategic issues, such as Jammu & Kashmir. Foreign investment continues to flow in. Whenever PM Modi travels to any foreign country, it becomes a spectacle. This has indeed boosted India's global standing. 

Last Mile Delivery

Narendra Modi's popularity cuts across caste lines. Even in the states that have been socio-economically backward and caste-ridden, Modi has made deep inroads among the people through his pro-poor welfare schemes. Starting from the financial inclusion of the poor through Jan Dhan accounts, building houses for millions through PM Awas Yojana, disbursing billions of crores of Mudra loans to the most vulnerable section, ensuring zero open defecation, providing basic necessities like tap water supply through 'Nal se Jal' scheme, distributing free ration to the BPL families and thereby guaranteeing food security using PM Garib Kalyan Yojana - there have been innumerable such poverty alleviation measures which have gradually pulled the larger population out of poverty. It was only during PM Modi's tenure that after 70 years of independence, basic living amenities like food, water, houses, and toilets have actually been ensured for a large section of the society without any corruption and discrimination. Hence, Modi was able to transcend his image as a hardcore Hindutva leader and went a step further to become a pro-development leader for the most vulnerable. 

Modinomics

Previous Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was a celebrated economist who is hailed for economic reforms. Yet in the UPA-2 government, the country went through a difficult phase of inflation and economic slowdown. India was termed as a 'Fragile Five' economy in 2013 by Morgan Stanley. Today, we are the fifth largest economy in the world, projected to be 3rd largest by 2027. Making India a pioneer in the world of digital payments, simplifying the tax norms by implementing the GST Act, launching PLI schemes to push for more global investment - these are some groundbreaking steps taken by the Modi government to steer the Indian economy out of the darkness. Modi wasn't shy of undertaking even unpopular reforms such as Demonetisation. His critics raised concerns over Modi's credentials and called him an 'illiterate' PM to understand the macroeconomic nuances. What they missed was Modi's deep understanding of the complex Indian society and its functioning. During the covid outbreak, economists worldwide predicted a long term breakdown of India's financial structures. People mocked Modi's call for an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. Today, India is surpassing the growth estimates of leading financial agencies like Goldman Sachs and is one of the few bright spots in the otherwise precarious global economic situation. 

India, that is, BHARAT

His hardcore Hindutvawadi image is what keeps Modi always popular among the masses. The construction of Ram Mandir was one of the core manifesto points of the BJP since 1990, which was finally fulfilled in this government. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Mandir was one of the most celebrated events countrywide. It became a mass movement by itself. It was only due to the persistent efforts of the Modi Government that Yoga became popular globally and the United Nations declared 21 June as the International Day of Yoga. Modi Government has truly harnessed the potential of religious tourism in India. Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Mahakal Corridor, Jagannath Puri Corridor - all these initiatives have pushed the number of religious tourists traveling to Varanasi, Ujjain, and Puri by many folds, even surpassing traditional tourist destinations like Goa. Preserving the cultural heritage of India is very important in this fast-paced Westernised world and the Modi Government has ensured the same. Installing 'Sengol' in the new Parliament building, dedicating 26 December as the 'Veer Bal Diwas' in remembrance of the martyrdom of  Sahibzaade - these are minor steps that go a long way in maintaining the essence of the age-old Indian civilization. 

Digital India

Unarguably, Narendra Modi will be remembered as the leader who brought the digital revolution to India. Digital payments in India are recording a monthly volume of roughly 20 trillion rupees. This was not possible without the JAM (J- Jan Dhan, A- Aadhaar, M- Mobile) Trinity of Modi govt in his early years in office. The first step was bringing even the poorest under the financial services umbrella by opening Jan Dhan accounts. That was followed by linking the bank accounts to the Aadhaar identification so that the financial network could be secured. The final cog in the wheel was providing cheap internet connection and smartphones to people across the country, which was realized by close coordination between the Government and private telecom operators like Reliance, Airtel.  Demonetization provided a push to develop the digital payments habit in people but since the advent of UPI, there has been no looking back. Today, most of the financial transactions are online and recorded. This has also positively influenced the startup ecosystem in the country. 

Apart from digital payments, the Government has used technology big time in its functioning harboring a new era of eGovernance. E-tenders have promoted efficiency and higher bandwidth in the government procurement chain. All major applications today are done online, cutting the paperwork. All government schemes and initiatives can be tracked through a live performance dashboard - https://transformingindia.mygov.in/

Mass Connect

Another understated achievement of this government is the unique approach of the PM directly communicating with the society. It started with the 'Swacch Bharat' campaign in 2014 when millions took to the cleaning initiative upon the call of PM Modi. 'Mann Ki Baat' has also been a very innovative forum for directly connecting with the masses through radio. Through this program, the PM mentioned and lauded thousands of people who are bringing some positive change in society. These people not only got words of encouragement from the PM himself but were also able to publicize their works through this medium. People's Padma was a step further where common people started receiving Padma awards for their positive contribution to society. 

PM's direct connection with people was very useful during the Covid-19 lockdown and vaccination program. 

Welfare of farmers

Agriculture still employs more than 2/3rd of India's population. It is virtually impossible to lead a holistic development of the country without ensuring the welfare of farmers. The Narendra Modi government has taken various steps to double the farmers' income over the years. Yes, being a geographically diverse country, there are various challenges of floods and droughts to a large section of the country and unfortunately, farmers' suicide out of distress is still a thing. However, the PM Kisaan Yojana which includes an annual support of Rs. 6000 to all the farmers, Fasal Bima Yojana for crop insurance, making easy capital available through Kisaan Credit Cards, expanding the MSP umbrella to most of the crops, building godowns for crop storage, providing scientific and technical expertise to the farmers using Soil Health Cards and Kisan call centres - these are some major initiatives to improve the lives of farmers in the country. The Government further tried to usher in agriculture reforms to refine the procurement and storage system but unfortunately, that met a political deadlock.

Apart from this, the Government has also focused on fisheries by creating a dedicated ministry of fisheries. The result has been very positive wherein the fish exports have doubled in the last ten years. 

Transforming the Health Sector

Covid-19 pandemic was a big test of India's medical apparatus. Yes, it was catastrophic for many families but given the size of our population and the time we recovered in, it was a surprise for many globally. Heralding a whole-of-country approach in a time as challenging as that by ensuring the availability of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, medicines, vaccines was never an easy task. 

We are still not there, our medical services are still not par with any developed nation but many steps have been taken in that direction. A universal government medical insurance scheme in the form of Ayushmann Bharat Yojana, opening Jan Ausadhi Kendras for affordable medicines, dedicating more than 15 new AIIMS since taking over the office - these are some major initiatives in the health sector. 

Revolutionizing medical consultations through the e-Sanjeevani app has also been very helpful to the poor. 

I have just listed out the areas where I felt Prime Minister Modi and his team have outdone the previous governments and wholeheartedly deserve a third term. Over the next few weeks, I shall be elaborating upon all these initiatives even further.

To sum it up, people vote for Modi not just because of his nationalistic and Hindutva image but because of his all-round works on a large and diverse scale.