Modi-Shah Embrace Satraps

Despite advice to marginalise or even jettison some BJP chief ministers on the 2019 campaign trail, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to embrace their work and achievements.

- Uday Mahurkar

Driven by BJP president Amit Shah, the strategy appears to be to highlight the likes of Vasundhara Raje, Yogi Adityanath and Shivraj Chouhan as exemplars of development flowing from the Centre through to the states via strong leadership at every level.

The fears expressed by BJP mem bers about the string of bypoll losses suffered in UP since Adityanath became chief minister, or the appar­ ent unpopularity of Raje, have been brushed aside by Shah, who has crafted an electoral approach that emphasises the chief ministers’ roles as regional executors of the prime minister’s sch­ emes. In the past six weeks or so, in his appearances at public rallies, Modi has been extravagant in his praise of BJP chief ministers. The volte face has been particularly noticeable in Rajas than, heading to polls at the end of the year. Whereas in previous appearances ana­lysts argued he had been somewhat cool towards Raje and that she was proving resistant to changes Shah sought to make to the local party unit, during Modi’s visit this month he showered extravagant praise on her governance.