The Modi Wave? Modi Tsunami? Oh!!it is a Tsu-NaMo

By Shashi  Narasimhiah

In the history of Independent India, it is highly doubtful whether there was another general election which created as much doubt, as much frenzy, as much expectation from both sides, as much discussion worldwide, as much polarisation, as much negativity and positivity and eventually as much celebration and heartbreak. The final result was stunning – to say the least and came as a surprise even to the party which won.India as a nation made a massive statement with the overwhelming majority of Indians choosing to hand the nation over to a single-person phenomenon called Modi.

In a nutshell, NDA and the BJP did better than 2014 despite the incumbency factor and that missing wave in favour of Modi. In addition,the level of perceived success of many of Modi and BJP initiatives – whether it is the reduction in (let alone eradication of) corruption or SwachhBharathAbhiyaanor Make-in-India campaign or affordable health care or implementation of GST or digital India or national security – is debatable at best. During his first term, Modi hasproved that he is human after all!!

But what propelled the Indian voters to put their comprehensive trust in him?Why were the people of India so passionate about Modi returning to power? Let us try and examine:

1. Modi Vs Rest: It was not NDA, not even BJP, it indeed was simply Narendra Modi Vs the Rest. The perception across the country of what Modi is, what Modi has done and what Modi means to the future of the country was sold brilliantly by the chief strategist Amit Shah. The two of them together successfully achieved an unprecedented polarisation of a combined community called India. Polarisation was so telling that even the time tested caste-card which was the basis of campaigning for many such as Mayavati and Akhilesh Yadav failed to work. Only three months ago BJP could not make any headway in States like Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh, but all these states responded very differently whenit was time to elect their PMand when they heard the name Modi.
2. Strong Prime Minister:With the application of the theory of “perception” and taking the concept of “marketing” theory a bit further– the entire nation including even the many non-supporters see Modi as a Strong PM and someone who can passionately fight for the nation’s wellbeing inside and outside.Add to that Modi’s own chest thumping, hand pumping brand of campaigning to complete the recipe for success, Modi comes across as a very strong leader with no comparable alternative to choose from.
3. Nationalism: Modi in particular and BJP in general have conceptualised a battle ground based on bold and passionate Indian nationhood and the timing of it – just perfect. India as a whole has undergone an economic, educational as well as social mega-metamorphosis since the Nehru-Indira era and India means different now for the majority of Indians. The same Indians who felt sorry for being Indianhave developed an Indian Pride and a phase is just commencing when the common Indian feels proud to be Indian. Modi was able to read this changed mindset and respond better to it than anyone else and sold the idea of strong-rich-Hindu nationalism.
4. Image: For the first time ever in Indian politics (Mahatma Gandhi was not a politician) we have a Prime Minister (and indeed a person) whose personal integrity is beyond question. Not even in our dreams would any of us imagine Modi to be a corrupt man or politician. This again is a very big deal to the average contemporary Indiansnow who do not want their country to be seen as a corrupt backward country but rather a progressive clean place they can be proud of.This enabled Modi to progressively develop a “Larger than Life” image across the country.
5. None available:Is it Modi winning? Or is it the others not being credible enough? After the stellar international exhibition by Modi during his first term, with all due respects, an average or a half-educated Indian might find it difficult to imagine a Mayavati or a Mamta or a Chandra Babu to be their representative inside and outside of India. Modi is a time tested international campaigner, has developed first-name relationship with most world leaders – no wonder Trump and Putin were two of the earliest to congratulate Modi.True or not – at least the perception is that Modi has enhanced India’s reputation as a whole and due to him, India is seen as a power and a force to reckon with worldwide.Sure, there may be others such as Shashi Tharoor but they carry the baggage that Modi doesn’t.

India as a nation has now gone beyond the needs of subsistence. India is now looking for a place on the world stage and has developed an Indian pride never seen before. The average voter now is more discerning.Who represents them inside and outside the country and what level of respect the Indian Prime Minister attracts matters to an average Indian now more than ever before. Currently in India the only “eligible” candidate who can fulfil this aspiration of the average Indian voter is Modi and only Modi.

6. The Rahul factor: Congress has always been seen as a Nehru-Indira-Rajiv-Sonia party. Rahul Gandhi is seen as someone who would continue the dynastic rule and as someone who is not entirely of Indian origin either.However much he tried to exhibit his passion for India, the brand of nationalistic fervour that Modi could drum up, Rahul could not and people could not see him as their Prime Minister – at least not yet.
7. The Manmohan factor: If Rahul was not to be the Prime Minister then, a less popular or a non-political leader would have to lead and no one has forgotten the Manmohan Singh era which is seen more as an era of“Super PM” Sonia Gandhi during which the Prime Minister being the country’s leader was perceived to have been reduced to a meek follower. The changed Indian national pride and the changed Indian mindset would not accept this anymore.
8. Usage of Social media:It was a strategic master stoke by BJP to engage the social media for this election, with thousands of memes and videos circling around coming out of BJP’s meme machine, which was almost impossible for any other party to match.

After Indian Independence in 1947, this election may be the most defining moment in Indian history. The country as a whole could not have been clearer on what they want. The expectation of what Modi will deliver is humungous. A comparison can be drawn to Sachin Tendulkar trying to get his 100^th international hundred and the resulting stress that expectation of over a billion people placed on the shoulders of the legendary cricketer. Narendra Modi is the new Sachin Tendulkar. It is rather important – not just for Modi himself, but in the larger interests of India that this overwhelmingly popular vote is translated into concrete action of fulfilling a nation’s aspiration