Everything’s fair in politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on an intense campaign tour, projecting himself as the strongman protector of India, while painting the opposition-especially the Congress-as weak and out of touch. Modi’s rhetoric positions the BJP not just as a political party, but as the sole guardian of national interest. With states like Bihar heading to the polls in late 2025, followed by others such as Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal through to 2029, the BJP seems determined to leave no stone unturned. In Indian politics, moments of national crisis have often been turned into instruments of electoral strategy. A striking example is the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019, when a Pakistani-trained terrorist drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 40 personnel. It was the deadliest attack in the region since the insurgency began in 1989. In response, India launched the Balakot airstrikes on February 26, targeting what it claimed was a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leveraged this retaliation, riding a wave of nationalist sentiment to a decisive electoral victory that year. The same political playbook appears to be in motion once again. In the wake of the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, the government launched Operation Sindoor. The timing and the scale of the response-alongside the accompanying media coverage-suggest that the BJP is once again turning a national security episode into a rallying point for its campaign narrative. The overwhelming support of national media outlets amplifies the message of muscular nationalism, contributing to an atmosphere where dissent is easily branded as unpatriotic. Yet in politics, as the old adage goes, everything is fair-just as in love and war. The BJP, it seems, cannot be faulted for seizing an advantage when the opportunity arises. However, the BJP’s dominance is not solely a product of its own strategy; it is also a reflection of the vacuum in the opposition. Since its dismal 2014 performance with just 44 Lok Sabha seats, Congress has continued to project Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial face against Narendra Modi. Despite a more impressive showing in 2024- reaching a tally of 100 seats-the party’s momentum appears to have stalled. The Congress party, is in a state of disarray and preoccupied with Rahul Gandhi’s personal odyssey, which many perceive as an extended and abstract search for ideological clarity. Rahul’s grassroots outreach has yet to yield substantial political gains. Nonetheless, the Congress remains fixated on grooming him, seemingly oblivious to shifting political realities. Like an ostrich with its head in the sand, the party clings to its chosen path, while Rahul continues his introspective journey in search of truth. The best is to let Rahul keep on searching for the truth while some other matured politician is given the responsibility of leading the party otherwise, it will fade and get reduced to the status of a minor regional force in the broader national landscape. In a political system where majority rules, being out of touch with ground realities is a fatal flaw. To challenge the BJP’s dominance, Congress-or any rival-must not only understand the changed landscape but also rise to Modi’s level of political acumen. Until then, the BJP, confident and largely unchallenged, has little to worry about.