The Congress party’s performance in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, with a win of 99 seats, is a notable improvement from 2019. However, it still pales in comparison to the BJP’s reduced 240 seats. The alliance, as a whole, played a pivotal role in forming a strong opposition. Yet, it is evident that no single party can claim sole credit for the alliance’s success.
Samajwadi Party (SP) – The Unsung Hero
In Uttar Pradesh, it was the Samajwadi Party (SP) that was the game-changer with its 37 seats. BJP came a close second with 33 seats. Congress managed 6. In the end, it is not how many seats you gained or lost that matters, but whether you won. I have my grievances with the SP, but if credit is to be given to any party, it should go to the SP. It was Akhilesh Yadav who turned things around.
Despite Congress’ lackluster performance (this was its third-worst performance overall), you often hear the party nowadays boasting about its “achievements” and how Rahul Gandhi single-handedly saved democracy. Ironically, this narrative has also been picked up by the West.
It seems that the party is trying to present this as a Congress victory as a way to save Rahul Gandhi. This may have been his final opportunity to get things right, and by insinuating that Rahul was the driving force behind the alliance’s success, Congress managed to secure his leadership position.
Nyay Yatra Results
If you look at the route of Rahul’s Nyay Yatra, you will see that BJP won most of the areas where Rahul Gandhi campaigned. This map was shared by Moneycontrol.
The white line was the route taken by Rahul Gandhi. It went well in Manipur, but as his journey progressed, his yatra seemed to have had less impact on the common man.
This is BJP’s performance in the same areas for comparison purposes:
As you can see, most of the areas were dominated by the BJP.
Questioning Congress’ Performance
The irony is that no journalist has questioned his performance and is projecting him as a hero. I am pointing this out because Congress prefers to believe that Rahul Gandhi is the best Prime Ministerial candidate. However, if you replace him with someone much more competent, votes will flow from the BJP to Congress naturally without much work or unending yatras. Many I know only opt for the BJP because they dislike the Gandhis, a sentiment that could be leveraged by a stronger Congress leader.
In India, there is a lack of a strong opposition party (not an alliance) with consistent and solid ideologies that do not vary among party members. Consistency brings confidence. Personally, I was not sure if I was voting for the left’s or Congress’ ideologies in the INDI alliance. The manifesto of CPI(M), one of the members of the INDI alliance, is one of the most dangerous I have ever seen. It does not inspire confidence. If I support the Congress but not the CPI(M), should I still vote for the INDI alliance? This is the skepticism I feel.
The question remains whether Congress is planning to continue working with an alliance and take credit for the alliance’s victories. We should question the party and demand improvements. Celebrating the current situation as a victory could prevent the emergence of a much more competent opposition party. The citizens of India deserve more.
Before I begin talking about this year’s elections, I would like to make my political leanings clear. I started as a staunch leftist, someone who observed politics from the surface level, never digging into details or paying much attention to the nuances. Currently, even though several “know your political leaning” quizzes position me as a centrist, I would describe myself as more center-right. I support infrastructure projects, national development, and improving defense strategies. However, I am not fond of communal politics, nor do I agree with the opposition’s appeasement/fearmongering politics. This puts me in a confusing political space where I am not completely satisfied with any one party.
Now that’s done, let’s get to the main story. As I have a lot to say about the elections, I will be dividing the post into several parts.
Observation #1: Democracy is alive. But not in the way you think.
This election proved that no one is invincible and politicians shouldn’t take the voters for granted.
The alliance performed exceptionally well. However, I would have to disagree with the narrative that “people voted against divisive, communal politics.” This is misleading. If you look at the CSDS-Lokniti Post-Poll data, the BJP got the most votes in urban areas, whereas it lagged in rural areas. People in villages are less influenced by communal politics. Their votes are based on their immediate environment and needs. Are they receiving basic essentials like ration, jobs, housing, and respect? These factors, along with caste-based politics, significantly influence their voting decisions.
A guarantee card was distributed by Congress that promised a 1 lakh salary, guaranteed jobs for freshers, 1 lakh rupees annually for women in economically backward families, etc.
It was never stated that these benefits would only be available if Congress won. If I were not financially well-off, my first choice would have been Congress solely because of these freebies. I wouldn’t care about roads or development. Refusing freebies is a luxury only the privileged can afford. This is where the BJP faltered. They did not offer any freebies for low-income people. While this might be good for the economy, it is detrimental for securing votes.
An interesting thing about this card is that it asks the recipient to jot down the number of voters in the family, booth number, constituency, etc. Was it a way to count the number of confirmed votes for their party? Is this how they knew a significant shift is to be expected in Uttar Pradesh?
BJP, on the other hand, has been accused of taking away land and destroying the houses of families settled around the Ayodhya temple. This may have significantly contributed to their loss of votes. The discontent with the BJP in this context is not rooted in communal politics but rather in the failure to meet basic needs.
Observation #2: EVMs are working
It is amusing that the parties who were hyper-worried about EVMs are now perfectly fine with the machines. No malfunctions were reported whatsoever.
This is one area where both Congress and BJP are happy. Or did the BJP secretly end up firing their EVM hacking unit, as mentioned in this satire post by The Fauxy? We will never know.
It’s the election season again in India, the largest democracy in the world. Politicians are tirelessly running hither and thither promoting their campaigns, often resorting to divisive tactics to seal their votes. As a layman, you find yourself wondering during these times whether the political parties’ agenda is to divide citizens rather than win elections.
Over the past ten years, there’s been a steady rise in discomfort over the rising popularity of the right wing. Most minorities and leftists want the BJP to be voted out this year. There’s a sense of dread about what would happen if the BJP takes control for the third consecutive term. You see and read incidents of Christians and Muslims in rural areas crying, “Hindus will kill us if they come into power. Please don’t vote for the BJP.” This cry for help is alarming. Minorities do face discrimination in India, but to make it sound like a genocide is far-fetched. Most people live in harmony with each other, while some tyrants across communities try to create problems. However, the negative stories are most prominently highlighted making it look like the norm. It is not a systematic persecution, as seen in neighboring countries.
Who is spreading this hate narrative? Who is inflicting this unfound fear on everyone? Politicians and the media are to blame—both the right and left. One makes controversial statements, and the other spreads hate and discord by amplifying them out of context. The reasons are purely agenda-driven. I say this with confidence because of the ease with which they seem to overlook their own preferred party’s faults, irrespective of the severity. The bias is crystal clear.
Someone like me, who is engrossed in reading both left and right narratives day in and out, can now finally figure out when a party/media/journalist is playing games to drive their agenda. I have acquired a sense of indifference to polarizing or pseudo-secularist words. But an apolitical person, which many are, might not understand the game and fall prey to the hate narrative set by both sides. Ultimately, the narrative with the most media outreach wins: the right-wing within India and the left wing globally.
The opposition parties in India are going all out to convince everyone why democracy is in trouble in the country, resorting to fearmongering tactics, such as drilling down the point that there won’t be an election next time if BJP wins. The Western media is also trying to help the opposition by pushing the narratives of the leftist ecosystem to the world at large. An outsider might have already read several articles slamming the situation in India on popular portals like the BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNN. Rarely do you see a right-wing viewpoint, probably because the right wing is, by default, considered problematic. So, you never know precisely why the right wing has gained popularity in any country. You only get to see the uncomfortable outcomes of it.
A satire post from @the_fauxy
Is BJP a Far-Right Party?
Let’s get this straight: BJP being a “far-right” party is highly debated and contradicted by the actual far-right in India. They feel Modi is “soft,” so they label him “center-right.” According to them, he hasn’t yet reclaimed all the lost temple properties or got the temples out of government control; his party suspended Nupur Sharma when she made blasphemous comments in response to an equally blasphemous comment by a guest panelist, and the party hasn’t restricted welfare benefits to Muslims. For the hardliners, a legit far-right politician is someone like Geert Wilders.
You often see Modi making problematic statements to woo his far-right fan base and keep them happy. But his words don’t usually translate into actions. Muslims remain the biggest beneficiaries of welfare schemes under the BJP rule, Muslim businesses in Gujarat have prospered, Shias are now able to practice their religious rituals in Kashmir openly, and oppressive rules like the Triple Talaq have been banned, earning him a small but dedicated Muslim fan following in the country who have started to realize that Modi isn’t all that bad as he’s made out to be. In Kashmir, a Muslim-majority state, the Ayushman Bharat scheme is available to all citizens irrespective of social and economic status, a privilege not extended to other states in the country.
Narendra Modi with Bohra Muslims
These examples defy the popular notion that Modi is anti-Muslim. Some rightists jokingly call him “Moulana Modi” for the help he has extended to Muslims, especially the Pasmanda community, who had been ignored by other political parties to date in favor of the more prosperous Muslim elites.
Yes, Modi is serious about reclaiming revered temple properties lost during the Mughal rule, the ones that are highly deemed by the Hindu community, but he is offering an alternative, more spacious land for the construction of a new mosque as compensation to the Muslims. This is a trait characteristic of a practicing religious Hindu but not an Islamophobe who would not have offered, without doubt, any land as compensation.
However, the party doesn’t do much to contradict such claims of it being an anti-Muslim party. They don’t openly highlight the good they have done for the Muslim community. It appears as if they want this “anti-Islam” label to prevail. Probably because it pleases their far-right voters. A large number of individuals vote for Modi with the belief that he prioritizes Hinduism. Why would he want to tarnish that image? This is a primary con of democracy – you support narratives, even misleading ones, to consolidate a win by hook or crook. The focus is on power, not the people. The result is this: you end up winning by dividing the people further. The essence of “One India” becomes fainter as each election campaign ends.
Reasons for Rising Support
The reasons why the majority in India prefer Modi are multifold. It is not as straightforward as outsiders like to believe. There are primarily three types of BJP supporters:
Centrists: They dislike BJP’s communal politics but admire the party’s pro-development approach, solid implementation of social schemes, zero tolerance for terrorist activities/groups, no appeasement politics, increase in FDI, improved relationships with foreign countries that can prove beneficial to India, improved economic rankings, etc.
Anti-Opposition: They support the BJP primarily because they think the opposition is incompetent and not strong enough to take the country forward. They vehemently dislike the opposition’s weakness when it comes to tackling radical groups (something we are increasingly seeing in Western countries nowadays). The opposition was unable to control Kashmir’s terrorist activities or ban anti-national groups like PFI while they were in power. If given a better choice, the “Anti-Opposition” clan would gladly opt out of BJP. Currently, there are none.
Far Right: They like BJP’s communal politics and their pro-Hindu, capitalistic approach. They were highly unsatisfied with the opposition’s appeasement politics in the previous years. They felt their needs were unmet or unanswered when the opposition was in power, such as getting the temples out of government control. BJP gives them hope.
BJP rose to fame because of these three main target groups whose grievances were left unresolved by the opposition parties. For them, BJP is the only viable option. To defeat the BJP, the opposition parties should first seriously address the concerns of these groups. As long as they keep denying their negatives and gaslighting the concerns of voters, the right-wing will continue to reign supreme.
Conclusion
It is a trend we are seeing worldwide. Far-right parties are winning in Europe and are finding support in the US. This could be attributed mainly to the incompetency of the leftist ecosystems to curb extremism and violence, pushing people to support the right. When the issues are addressed and resolved, voters will likely shift their support towards a centrist political party. Till then, we await more concrete actions from the left to prove they can protect the country and its social fabric as reliably as the right.
Dhruv Rathee’s recent videos have garnered much interest. Whenever he posts an anti-BJP or anti-Modi video, it trends on X. However, despite the popularity of his videos, here’s why these videos won’t have a significant impact.
Echo Chamber
The people who religiously watch Dhruv Rathee need no convincing on why the BJP is, in his words, a “danger to democracy.” They already wholeheartedly believe in this narrative. It must be acknowledged that Dhruv Rathee’s videos primarily cater to the anti-BJP audience. His videos might not have a significant impact outside this zone. Probably, he also means to reach out to fresh, impressionable minds. However, it remains to be seen how many Indian citizens are without political bias, considering the country is already significantly polarized.
Many people in India are Modi supporters, as evidenced by his victory in the last two elections. To overturn this support and for videos like Rathee’s to make an impact, the same set of Modi supporters responsible for his victory must be willing to consider viewing things from a different perspective, i.e., “the other side.” Asking right-wingers to go through leftist channels, including Dhruv Rathee’s videos, hoping to transform them, is like asking left-wingers to subscribe to right-wing media. It’s a lost cause. People who support the left call the right-wing press “Godi media” or “Sanghi media” and dismiss them. They refuse to even listen to a right-wing narrative. The same thing happens with the right-wing supporters. They dismiss videos from Dhruv Rathee and other left-leaning journalists.
So, who will these videos educate and reform? Takers are little.
Selective Activism
The main reason why even the center-right refuses to take Dhruv Rathee seriously is because of his selective news reporting. CPM’s rule in Kerala, the state I am from, is showing all signs of fascism, where freedom of speech and expression are routinely suppressed by the SFI activists (the youth wing of CPM), as seen recently in Sidharthan’s case. Still, Dhruv Rathee and several other left-leaning journalists hardly ever comment on this. It makes you question their agenda. More right-wing supporters would have taken him seriously if he had a more balanced approach to news reporting. In this matter, he fails.
Unquestioning Loyalty
As per surveys, Narendra Modi is the most popular leader globally. It’s a kind of hero worship that makes his supporters often ignore or justify his wrongs. But you usually see this with CPM and Congress supporters as well in Kerala. A kind of blind devotion engulfs them. Regardless of several corruption cases or scandals, party supporters refuse to waver. It is not easy to make someone shift their strong loyalties. This kind of worship is not just limited to politics. You see it with movie stars, singers, religious leaders, etc. People refuse to hear anything negative about a person they admire.
Recently, I came across a video on YouTube where a man was conversing with a couple in Kerala who earned their livelihood by selling tea near a beach. The conversation went something like this:
“How has it been for you the last five years? Has your life improved?”
“No, we are struggling financially. No changes have been made to the district. We continue to suffer.”
“So that means you are seeking a change?”
“Yes, we need a change for sure.”
“Who will you vote for then?”
“LDF! We have been staunch LDF supporters for years. No change in that.”
So basically, people are well aware of the problems they face and how things haven’t changed under the ruling party’s leadership, yet they refuse to stop their support. They might criticize the party but will not think about voting for another.
So, no matter how many videos Dhruv Rathee comes out with or how viral they become, the truth remains that he won’t be able to change the perspective of citizens who are already Modi fans. The videos will, however, solidify and intensify an anti-BJP person’s existing hatred towards the party.
For issues to be taken seriously, someone more nuanced, balanced, or unbiased needs to cover them. When people are convinced that the person reporting the news has no bias, the trust factor will naturally increase. However, this is a farfetched dream. In a world where biases are prevalent, only a newly created AI journalist might be capable of offering a completely neutral perspective. Unfortunately, even this AI journalist may develop biases over time, making it another unreliable source for obtaining news.
There are two ways to check your MP’s contribution to your constituency in India.
MPLADs
In India, we have something called the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds. These funds are allocated to MPs for development projects in their respective constituencies. By tracking this data, you can check whether your MP’s words match his actions.
To track MPLADs fund utilization, you can go to the MPLADS website and generate MP-wise statements.
Please note there might be a lag in the data presented on the website. This means the data might not be the latest. However, you can get an inkling of how much funds were utilized by the MP for the development of your constituency.
I wish the website also displayed the exact work the MP did. Unfortunately, there is no way to know.
MP’s Performance in Parliament
Another highly useful website to check your MP’s performance in parliament is the PRS Website. You can search for your Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha MP and analyze his parliamentary activity, attendance, questions raised, etc.
Tip
If you have difficulty understanding any of the terms used in the websites, use an AI bot like ChatGPT or Gemini to explain the terms to you.
Here’s to more informed voting!
If you use any other website to analyze an MP’s performance, let us know in the comments section below.
Sidharth was found dead at a college campus in Wayanad. The police initially downplayed things and declared that it was death by suicide. It was when a few friends visited Sidharth’s dad and emotionally told him there was more to the issue than what meets the eye that things started falling to light.
A post-mortem was conducted. Several attack wounds were found on Sidharth’s body. His stomach was found empty, indicating he had not eaten (or was not allowed to eat) for a day (or more). There were wounds on his neck, which experts say is unusual in a typical case of suicidal hanging (reference).
SFI students were found guilty of torturing Sidharth. He was stripped to his underwear, beaten mercilessly to exhaustion, had his phone taken away so he couldn’t contact anyone, and left without food and water (allegedly for days).
Why Was Sidharth Tortured?
Why SFI members in the Wayanad campus tortured Sidharth is unknown. Many stories are floating online:
Some SFI members say Sidharth was involved in a sexual molestation case (which was filed days after his death). SFI has been using that reason to justify the beatings and wounds.
Yet some others say it’s a severe case of ragging. However, which student faces ragging in his second year?
Some say it is because he proposed to a Muslim girl on Valentine’s Day. Prominent personalities, like the Governor of Kerala, have constantly accused SFI of harboring members of the PFI (a banned terrorist group) (reference). PFI (like ISIS) is said to be strictly against men from other communities pursuing Muslim women. They are said to “school” such people violently so that no one else would dare to commit such a “sin” again.
Then there are others who say it was a case of jealousy. The boys around Sidharth apparently did not like his growing popularity.
One section of the media says Sidharth was beaten up simply because he danced with senior female batchmates on Valentine’s Day.
However, nothing justifies his death. No student deserves to be brutally tortured this way, no matter what the issue.
Arrest of SFI Members
All SFI members accused of torturing Sidharth have been arrested (details).
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, is painfully silent. The champion of free speech and democracy has nothing to say about the issue. No condolences, no visits to Sidharth’s parents, and no strict actions against the SFI cadre. Why? Because his own student party is involved. If other parties had committed the same crime, he would have been the first person to thrash them.
Students in Kerala are scared to speak up against SFI. They wish to complete their studies in peace. It took a few North Indian students to report this case to the police. Only one Malayalee girl so far has been brave enough to come forward (details), requesting anonymity, condemning the SFI members of their crime. She revealed with tears how even friends turned foes and acted like vultures preying on the victim. She said she was scared, which is why she didn’t speak up sooner.
The same youngsters who are quick to criticize BJP and RSS maintain pin-drop silence when SFI/CPM is involved. This is concrete proof of the unprecedented authority SFI/CPM commands in Kerala – people are scared to criticize them. This stands in contrast to the type of authoritarianism attributed to the BJP, as criticism of the BJP does not evoke fear among the populace.
The Kerala Story
It is saddening that students in Kerala are threatened and bullied by party goons and are stopped from speaking against injustice.
How can parents send their kids to a college in Kerala with peace of mind if even our Chief Minister turns a blind eye to crimes in the state? Pinarayi has come up with many reforms to improve education, but why isn’t he focusing on the safety and security on college campuses? Why doesn’t his government take strict actions against SFI members who commit crimes as soon as he hears such news that is backed by concrete evidence? It took the governor, Mr Arif Khan, to suspend the VC after he was found incompetent to ensure decorum in the Wayanad campus.
SFI seems to have autonomy in many colleges. They are the only party present because they don’t allow the formation of other parties. Is this democracy? Is this freedom of speech?
Kerala is not the perfect peaceful state as it is portrayed to be.
Justice for Sidharth
How far will this case go? Will it be buried from the limelight in a few months? Will Sidharth’s parents get justice?
It’s heartbreaking to see his father’s emotional, tear-laden eyes in news channel discussions, while the SFI members watch on impassively without an iota of regret or compassion. Instead of defending their party, SFI and CPM members should be focusing on how to prevent such incidents in the future. Their lack of accountability is infuriating.
Congress party members, especially the Youth Wing, have shown remarkable solidarity by organizing marches against SFI and CPM in Kerala. In my opinion, Congress and other parties should call for the ouster of CPM from the I.N.D.I.A block until they ensure all criminals involved in Sidharth’s death are sentenced to several years of non-bailable imprisonment. They shouldn’t be released on meager grounds, which the CPM is capable of doing once the election is done and dusted. Many have lost hope in the state government. They don’t expect a fair trial.
BJP and RSS have been disappointingly absent. BJP members have supported Sidharth, but it is not the aggressive type we would have expected out of them. To win in Kerala, they must step up, be on the ground, and fight for causes with vigor. They should openly show solidarity, walk with the people, and address their issues.
Social Media Awareness
Social media is uncomfortably silent about this issue. Many in India would have fought for Sidharth if they knew there was a problem. But they aren’t aware because the media is not reporting the issue enough, and people in Kerala are scared to speak up about it. The ruling party in Kerala also knows how to cover up and downplay issues with lies and excuses, which their leftist supporters endorse without question.
I would request all political parties, whether the left or the right, and their supporters to forget their ideological & political differences and unite to fight against such crimes in Kerala. Only then will there be faith and forgiveness, a feeling of safety and security.
I wish I could link an explainer video for those unaware of Sidharth’s case. But sadly, no mainstream English-speaking or Hindi-speaking YouTuber, like Dhruv Rathee or Soch by Mohak Mangal, has covered this issue. More people should speak up so that no other student here again faces this kind of crime.
If you are a Keralite who prefers not to speak against political parties, I would advise you to use the most powerful tool in your possession – your vote – to express your disappointment. Similar crimes have happened way too often in Kerala, and we keep forgiving them. We should stop being lenient.
If you wish to learn more about Sidharth’s case, search for #JusticeForSidharth or #JusticeForSidharthan on Twitter or Facebook. Here’s hoping you would lend your voice to this fight against injustice.
The Monkey Dilemma 
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