By Aravind Bhatikar

NARENDRA Modi has rubbished the Indian voter and the “Mother of Democracy” again. On June 27, 2023, thumping his 56-inch chest he thundered a “Modi guarantee” at a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh, that punitive action would be taken against NCP which he held guilty of a Rs70,000 crore scam. He was obviously referring to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and others who were already on the IT and ED radar.
On July 1, which was a Sunday, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister, Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal and a few others as ministers in the Shinde-cum-BJP government in Maharashtra. So, what happened to the “Modi guarantee?” What is the credibility of a prime minister who guarantees action against alleged scamsters and who blackmails the same scamsters into accepting ministership in his own government? Is the “Modi guarantee” as hollow as his “Man-ki-baat?” The message to all Opposition parties is loud and clear: “Either join BJP or be in jail!”
Hitherto, the Modi-Shah duo’s electoral weapons have been nationalism and Hindutva. Pulwama and Balakot were primarily responsible for Modi’s mega win in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. That truth was exposed by Satyapal Malik, former governor of Jammu & Kashmir. That communal polarization was the main electoral weapon of the Modi-Shah duo was widely known. Both these weapons do not seem to be effective anymore.
Recent drubbings in the Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka elections and a series of defeats in by-elections in Maharashtra and elsewhere, have proved that the shelf life of the Modi brand is over. Added to this, the increasing popularity of Rahul Gandhi and the probable coalition of all major Opposition parties threatens to complete the recipe for Modi-Shah duo’s permanent eclipse from Indian politics.
How long can Modi-Shah duo rule by using the CBI, IT and the ED as electoral weapons?