Congress vs BJP: How parties are engaging in a battle of narratives

Two principal Opposition parties are engaging in a battle of narrative.

Indian elections are never short on narrative, and the 2024 parliamentary polls are living up to expectations. Political discourse — especially of the kind that's popular at campaign rallies — can leave a lasting impression on the minds of voters.

The electoral implication of such narratives warrant mention, especially if it manages to evoke a reaction from none other than the leader of the ruling dispensation, set to return to power for a third consecutive term.

In a rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer last week, Modi asserted that his government revered the Constitution and even BR Ambedkar would not be able to abolish it now.

Prime Minister Modi’s rally in Barmer last week is indicative of his concerted attempt to deflate any misgivings floating around that may remotely upset BJP’s ‘Mission 400.’

When political campaigns attract public glare

Any reference to election campaigns would be incomplete without mentioning NDA’s ‘India Shinning’ Campaign of 2004. However, people mostly remember the failure of the campaign, which made it one of the worst political advertisement strategies in Indian history. The Congress countered with a pitch promising to protect the interests of the common man— the ‘Aam Aadmi.’ Pollsters predicted a win for the BJP-led NDA, but the final verdict defied their electoral calculations, surprising both the victor and the vanquished.

Despite the risks of running a high-pitched campaign, the UPA government in 2009 ran a successful ‘Bharat Nirman’ campaign with its focus on, and beyond, urban India. The UPA narrative was largely woven around its accomplishments in the rural sector, in contrast to the NDA, which sought to personify in Advani its promise of a strong leader, and strong leadership.

Fast forward to 2014. BJP fought the elections emphasising that Acche Din, or good times, were on their way. The circumstances were just about ideal for the BJP-led NDA to dethrone the UPA, which had become infamous due to its policy-paralysis and corruption charges.

Narendra Modi promised to sweep away the detritus of decades, change people’s lives, and fundamentally alter India’s trajectory.

In 2019, the NDA campaign revolved around “ease of living," and reached out to  the financially and socially weaker sections that had gained from various government welfare programmes, and sought  another term for the Modi-led government to continue its good work. Congress spoke of the uplift of the masses, but that was no match for Modi's  magic.

Modi’s attack on Congress' wealth distribution plank

Modi, in successive election speeches, has alluded to how Congress will “take people’s wealth and distribute it among minorities.” He also said the Congress will take away "your ancestor's home in your village and the small flat in your city that you purchased for the future of your children. "

The Prime Minister also took a swipe at the Congress manifesto, that promises to make “suitable changes in policies” to address the growing inequality in wealth and income.

Party leader Rahul Gandhi had said in Hyderabad earlier this month that the Congress, if voted to power, would carry out a financial and institutional survey, after a caste census, to ascertain the distribution of wealth among the people.

Why ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ has mass appeal

On the day of the release of BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto), the PM reiterated why ‘Modi ki Guarantee’  appealed to  the electorate. He said that people have trust in his promises because his government has delivered.

The promises outlined in the manifesto also comprised the party’s central pitch during last year’s assembly elections. The response among the electorate can well be gauged by the party’s performance in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

In its manifesto for Chhattisgarh, for example, BJP highlighted the top 20 “Modi guarantees,” such as Rs 12,000 annually for married women, filling government job vacancies, and an Awas Yojana (housing scheme) for the poor, among others.

Leading the party’s campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Modi announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) free ration scheme for another five years, saying it would benefit 80 crore poor people in the country.

The BJP attributed their success in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh to the traction of Modi's guarantees among voters.

Opposition on Constitutional safeguards and the end of reservation 

Other than the Congress, its ally Samajwadi Party and other constituents of the INDIA alliance have said that the BJP would alter the Constitution if it returns to power with more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha. The Opposition has called Modi and BJP “anti-Dalit forces.” Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, M Mallikarjun Kharge, has said that the BJP was trying to end the reservations for Dalits and other backward classes by privatising the public sector.

This is a marked departure from the campaigning witnessed a few weeks back, when the Opposition bloc raised issues of unemployment, income disparity, and inflation to target the central government. This shift is also in order to reach out to key sections of the populace with issues that find wider traction and elicit a response from the government.