The Lok Sabha elections of 2024 have been riveting. The BJP-led NDA alliance seems to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory despite forming the government at the Centre for the third time in succession. The Congress-led INDIA bloc has transformed itself into a resurgent Opposition. Amusingly enough, there is now no talk of tampering of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines); and no allegations that the Election Commission of India is a lackey of the Modiji government. Indeed, the fact that elections have been efficiently conducted in 7 phases with minimal disturbances and in acute heat wave conditions is a remarkable achievement—a triumph for democracy.

This election is a Reality Check for the overconfident BJP Netas and party functionaries. At 240 seats- losing a significant 63 from the 2019 tally of 303. This is a huge wake-up call for those living in the bubble-hype of ‘is baar, 400 ke paar.’ (More than 400 this time around.) However, on the other side, the entire INDIA coalition of parties secured 234 seats with the Grand Old Party at 99 seats. The BJP vote share in 2019 stood at 37.4 % and in 2024 at 37.37%. The big setbacks came in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. In the Hindi heartland State, the Samajwadi Party stunned Yogi Adityanath’s government by winning 37 seats. The BJP lost 29 seats from their erstwhile tally of 62 seats. The INC performed creditably with 6 seats. The party’s Ayodhya candidate (a done deal, what?) lost big by stoking fears with his irresponsible comments about changing the Constitution after the elections were over. The old Muslim-Yadav bloc which had voted in significant numbers for the BJP in 2019 consolidated into an anti-BJP force. Other local factors also created resentment. Economic corridors, highways and projects are all good to see but the affected locals did not benefit. They got a few lakhs for their lands and kutcha houses but saw the privileged stakeholders minting crores of rupees. In this era of omnipresent social media, no political party can take its eyes off the ball. In Maharashtra, the break-up of the NCP, seen to be engineered by the BJP, was regarded as an act of betrayal of their Saheb by his nephew not only by the Marathas but by many Maharashtrian voters. After 10 years in power, the BJP had lost its strongest asset- the ear-to-the-ground approach with disciplined cadres providing their leadership with critical ground information. In Delhi, the very same party swept all the 7 Lok Sabha seats even with Mr. Arvind Kejriwal playing his victim card with full support from the Opposition parties and even international media. The Delhi CM’s stint in jail was played out as the death of democracy.

The BJP’s ‘Big Brother’ persona has also cost it dearly. In Andhra Pradesh, it gained some traction because of the tie-up with Mr Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP. Likewise, if they had continued their partnership with the Akali Dal, it would have paid dividends in Punjab. If they had the sense to continue with their pact with AIADMK in Tamil Nadu at least 10 MPs would have joined their team. With Mr. Annamalai at the helm and in just 10 months their vote share in the State is more than 11%. But their obstinate refusal to play second fiddle demonstrates their short-sightedness. In the eyes of many Tamilians, the BJP remains a Hindi heartland party. They don’t have local leaders who are either well-known or well-respected to take on the DMK. A return to the healthy coalition strategy with established regional parties is the only sensible solution. Plus, the BJP national leadership seems oblivious to the fact that genuine respect and appreciation of India’s regional languages and cultures, traditions and customs is the only way to win hearts and minds across the country. For instance, if Tamil and Bengali… (Major Scheduled Languages) are taught as optional subjects in 5 years of middle school in Central and Government schools in North India it will be a game-changer and strengthen and consolidate the Union structure of India.

Mr Suresh Gopi, the National Award-winning Malayalam film actor, won BJP’s first-ever Lok Sabha seat from Thrissur- Kerala. My Malayali friends tell me that thousands of non-BJP supporters voted for him because of his humanitarian work over the years. Likewise, Dr. Manjunath, a respected cardiologist, defeated a Congress heavyweight for the Bengaluru Rural seat simply because of his reputation as a caring, soft-spoken professional. Request all political parties to throw away the oft-used Congress playbook of Money, Muscle, Caste, Creed and Political lineage whilst selecting their candidates. The BJP should also conduct an L&D workshop on Soft Skills and Communications for their Parliamentarians and Legislators. Movie Star Kangana Ranaut is going to cause unnecessary controversy with her immature remarks. The BJP candidate from Ayodhya lost simply because of reckless fear-mongering. Yes. Millions of faithful will queue up for the Divine Darshan at the Shri Ram Temple- from India and the rest of the world. But on a day-to-day basis, the average Indian citizen hopes for a glimpse of the true Ram Rajya.

After 10 years we will have a legitimate Leader of the Opposition in Mr. Rahul Gandhi. It’s also a situation of not who won (Modi 3.0 is in place) but who made the most gains. The Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK and TMC are the big winners with Akhilesh Yadav’s party stealing the show. We all know that the new Lok Sabha bills like the Uniform Civil Code and One India and One Election will be put in a deep freeze. However, it will be interesting to see how the MPs react to a critical bill on Police Reforms which has been gathering dust despite a Supreme Court directive in 2006. Most politicians, across party lines, want the police to keep doing their bidding. Good Economics is the Best Politics. Hopefully, India’s economic growth story will continue unhindered. Not only by becoming the 3^rd largest economy in the world but by getting our per-capita income to jump into the top 30 in the next 10-15 years. The Government and Opposition should also work together to ensure that India’s geo-political ascendancy remains resolute and on track, with no compromises on national interests or national security.

National Security. Mr Rahul Gandhi will become the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. But I am very relieved that he is not the Prime Minister of the country. He will likely become a puppet in China’s hands; he will also play along with the Pakistani establishment. Few will remember that in August 2008 the INC and the Communist Party of China (CCP) signed an MOU that the 2 parties would consult each other on bilateral, regional and international matters. Really.!! Another Himalayan Blunder waiting to happen. Is this the reason why the INC (not just the Comrades) does not say a word about the cruel persecution of Uyghur Muslims and the demolition of thousands of mosques in Xinjiang province of China? Please also recall Mr. Gandhi repeatedly speaking about the Chinese Army taking over 2000 sq km of Indian land, categorically denied by India’s Generals. Foreign intelligence agencies rebutted the same and spoke about clashes where the Indian Army gave the PLA a bloody nose. Remember Mr Digvijay Singh, a senior Congress Leader, releasing a book ‘26/11 an RSS Conspiracy’ with Dr Zakir Naik just 2 years after the Mumbai terror attack orchestrated by Pakistan, which had been validated by international intelligence agencies and from Pakistan itself. Just imagine if Kasab had not been caught alive.?! Or take the case of the Khalistanis in Canada celebrating the assassination of the late PM
Mrs. Indira Gandhi. No outrage from the daughter-in-law or the grandson of one of India’s most formidable political leaders. They are happy with the Canadian PM taking potshots at the Indian PM. It’s up to the Modi government to assert before the Trudeau government that such hate speeches and demonstrations cannot be passed off as’ freedom of expression.’

Another intriguing aspect of the 2024 General Election is the global dimensions it took on. China’s State media, which soft-pedals elections elsewhere for obvious reasons, waded into Indian democracy. China Daily- ‘Stunning Blow to Modi’s Image.’ Global Times- ‘Economic Reforms will slow down.’ The West also jumped onto the bandwagon with the German broadcaster DW- ‘A victory that feels like a defeat.’ Bloomberg- ‘Modi just learnt that hype can carry you so far.’ The NYT headline in the run-up to the election- ‘Modi’s Temple of Lies’ in an insidious reference to the Ayodhya Mandir. Such rantings with vitriolic Op-eds penned by Indian intellectuals and media people (you know their names) have been the norm for many years. During a talk at Cambridge, Mr Rahul Gandhi waved a newspaper whilst talking to the students. The same-day headline in The Guardian read- ‘India’s Democracy in Danger.’ Please connect the dots. Some readers may not know that Hinduism is not recognized as a religion in 24 out of 26 EU countries. Little wonder that some Ivy League college publications have dismissed this Ancient Faith with 1.2 billion followers as ‘pagans’ and ‘uncivilized.’ The fact that in the last decade, India has shed its mongrel attitude and started giving it back to the White Man is not going down well with them. Guess why Harvard has nothing to say about the brutal repression of a million Uyghur Muslims in China. The esteemed University has received $ 1 billion from China over 10 years mainly as gifts.

India’s rise as an independent global geo-political power has rocked the boat- like buying cheaper oil from Russia and Iran. How can India even think about it!! Shifting from being a major importer of military hardware to a growing exporter of arms and ammunition has rattled the military-industrial complex in Washington and other capitals. So, we have Christiane Amanpour on CNN talking about the Indian Prime Minister in the same breath as the Chinese and Russian dictators. Both of whom have anointed themselves as lifetime rulers. As for the Leader of the Free World, a convicted felon may well be the next President. The UK has seen 4 PMs in the last 8 years and is now shipping out undesirable immigrants to Rwanda and beyond.

The George Soros-affiliated Omidyar network (which has just exited India) with close links to the INC has funded money for propaganda, fake news and fear-mongering. Billionaire Soros who had publicly declared war on PM Modi at Davos many years back is known to have backed regime change in some nations. Chinese money has also poured in to boost well-known media outlets and YouTube influencers to spew a particular narrative.

The churning in Indian politics is all for the good. The strong comeback of the Congress and its Allies is welcome. With the caveat that if the Congress-led front comes to power at the Centre we will see a more competent and dependable Messrs Sachin Pilot or Shashi Tharoor or Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Minister. Beating the 2X anti-incumbency factor and with 292 seats in the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has to settle into its 3^rd term. It will have to work and focus on The Greater Good. ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ (Everyone’s support, everyone’s development, everyone’s trust) cannot be an empty slogan but an inspiration for good inclusive policies and efficient governance and administration.  However, as of now Modi 3.0 has prevailed not only over a rejuvenated Opposition but over myriad forces and powers from across the world.