If Modi Campaigns This Way, He is Sure To Win The 2014 Elections!

India, a seven millennium-old civilisation is the cradle of many groundbreaking discoveries and has been a theatre of many earth-shaking events. India started losing leadership in the world map because we did not realise the importance of unity and divided our society along fissiparous lines. What’s more, a thousand years back we stopped believing in ourselves and forgot our sense of self worth and self esteem. If you do not think well of yourself, or do not respect yourself, or do not treat yourself well how will you expect others around the world to think well of you, respect you or treat  you well. Respect and a healthy self respect for yourself can only be realised if its backed by clear thinking, clarity in purpose, goal-oriented action, hard work and moral credibility (man should strive for it).

At this juncture, change is necessary in the political landscape. The Congress has been in power at the Centre for close to 10 years but sadly the common man or the country has not benefitted.  According to media reports, some of their leaders have amassed hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees stashed away in overseas bank accounts, the party has lost touch with the people, its policies are questionable whether they would benefit the masses and India is becoming to look like a weak, and dithering old elephant. Why? Because its political leadership (by leadership I mean the CWC and top 20-30 leaders) have not got its priorities and agenda clear and right.

The leadership space is vacant in India right now and there is a leadership vacuum. The BJP must seize this moment and do what is necessary even if its bitter for the good of the country. Shri Narendra Modi is drawing large crowds in lakhs, but yet is not going quite right. A simple slip could swing out of control and could cost the BJP its golden chance to regain power at the Centre. Here’s why! In politics, every thought, word (written or spoken), behaviour and action is minutely scrutinised by the public and media, and rightly so, because these are a peek into the leader’s and party’s mind. Firstly, Shri Narendra Modi should stop taking barbs at the Gandhi family and Shri Rahul Gandhi directly, overtly and caustically. The Gandhi family (even if their deeds are questionable) have lead the country for several decades and Shri Modi’s barbs may not go well with their supporters, who could be in millions.

Further Shri Rahul Gandhi has not been nominated yet as the prime ministerial candidate by the Congress and Shri Modi should not take the battle to Shri Rahul’s court. In either case, it's an uneven battle. One is a aggressive 64-year old experienced political player, while Shri Rahul Gandhi is a relatively unwilling politician and is being thrust forward brutally by his own partymen. The Congress is doing a blunder by fielding Shri Rahul Gandhi, Smt Sonia Gandhi and Smt Priyanka Gandhi to be their sole star campaigners. Why is the Congress afraid of putting up other seasoned leaders in its field (and I can think of at least a score) who can hold the campaign well and provide support to the Gandhi family. One among the score of political seasoned leaders  which the Congress has can later be put up as the prime ministerial candidate. To put the Gandhi family members under a 1,000-ton pressure to lead the country at every juncture is merciless and not right. Smt Sonia Gandhi in 2004 had clearly expressed her unwillingness to don the PM’s mantle and to accuse the Gandhi family of cringing to power is intrinsically wrong and could backfire seriously.

The BJP must realise that as in other walks of life, in politics too the game is all about doing and saying the right thing and sticking as far as possible to the truth. Are the BJP central leaders providing enough support to Shri Narendra Modi? Not yet. Every rally of Shri Narendra Modi must be supported by 5-6 local/regional leaders and 5-6 national/central leaders. Is the BJP doing it right? NO! What are the issue the leaders must talk about? Local issues dear to the local people, regional issues and national/international issues which are dear to the common man should be highlighted and talked about. The BJP must do extensive research and consult with local leaders and find issues before its leaders address rallies. To go to someone’s house and to abuse him in his own house is intrinsically bad manners, and the BJP should guard against it. It may not go down well with the local people. The BJP leaders should draw attention to the opposition's fallacious policies, wrong programmes, loss to the district, region and country, suspect behaviour and actions but should refrain from making any direct frontal assault in a caustic way at the rival leaders. I again repeat the BJP must solidly stand behind its leader in letter and spirit but at the same time must also extend basic courtesy and politeness to leaders of rival parties.

So how must the BJP campaign progress for the next 6 months. Every BJP rally must be video recorded, edited with speech highlights and a summary and must be shown in every village and district of the state on large screens for at least a month or two post the rally. It should increase the shelf life of the speech of its leaders by doing so. People will support you if you are perceived as good, decent leaders whom the people can identify with and not as poison-spewing persons.  It should send speech highlights to local people via the media and other innovative ways. India needs change badly, and the BJP should not miss the truck this time. The Congress meantime should go back to the drawing board and mull is it the party which stood for values and steered India towards independence.