Wave Of Discontent

Modi magic may not work in Madhya Pradesh, as the Congress has transformed the polls into a BJP vs voters fight.

- Deepak Tiwari

Narendra Modi’s first rally in the run-up to the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, at Shahdol on November 16, was meant to be a game-changer. Having struggled to beat anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP was banking on the prime minister to turn things around by addressing ten rallies in five days.

The rally at Shahdol, however, witnessed a poor turnout, signalling that Modi’s ability to single-handedly win elections may be fading. The empty chairs at the venue forced the organisers to mobilise students at the nearby Pandit S.N. Shukla University. The students, who attended the rally in their uniforms, later revealed that they were told to skip classes.

Modi’s earlier visits had seen the state government going all out to make his rallies succeed. Officials were deputed to help organise the events, and hundreds of buses were deployed at the government’s expense to ferry people from remote areas. This time, though, things were not so smooth. The bus owners, for instance, have been complaining that the government was yet to settle their previous bill.

In Gwalior, women started leaving the BJP rally when Modi began speaking. “High LPG and petrol prices have affected all of us. The speeches of BJP leaders sound very hollow,” said lawyer Sameer Singh of Gwalior.

On November 18, Modi addressed a rally near Lav Kush Chouraha (junction) in Indore. Rajesh Johari of the NGO Utkarsh Foundation said it was the first time that “a towering leader” like Modi was addressing a rally at “such a small place”. “People have started holding him responsible for everything in their lives,” said Johari. “Even if they do not understand the meaning of GST (Goods and Services Tax), they say that it is the mother of all problems.”