Lok Sabha Polls: Why Opposition's personal attacks on Modi benefit the BJP?

Why don't the Opposition leaders realise that their personal attacks on Modi do not help change the mood of the electorate?

Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya may be gloating over the fact that her father's query at a Patna rally about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's family whereabouts forced "people to change their family". Rohini, whose presence at the Opposition rally marked yet another Yadav clan member’s entry in to the political foray, could not help but mock several Union ministers and BJP leaders who added “Modi Ka Parivar” in their bio on X (formerly Twitter).

She was unmindful of the impact of her father's dig at Modi that had resulted in the BJP mobilising its full strength to capitalise on what Lalu handed on a platter. Her post on X read, “Just by saying and writing on social media that ‘we are the family of so and so’ is not enough. The father’s name will have to be replaced in the birth certificate. (translated from Hindi).”

Not just Rohini Acharya; Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Malikarjun Kharge and others who were present during the Jan Vishwas Maharally in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan could not fathom how Modi turned the personal attacks to his advantage. In fact, in the last 48 hours, the BJP has shown that it is gearing up to make Lalu's jibe into a mass campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha elections--like the "chaiwala" and "chowkidar" campaigns of 2014 and 2019.

Voters Unperturbed

But why don't the Opposition leaders realise that their personal attacks on Modi do not help change the mood of the electorate? Do they forget that Modi is good at evoking sympathy from large sections of voters across India for whom he remains a popular figure? Do they see a good enough reason why the BJP won't cash in on Lalu's outburst, which is backed by other Opposition figures?

The answer, perhaps, lies in the fact that their antipathy towards Modi is blinded by not just political reasons. Plagued by Central agency investigations into their finances, some of these leaders believe that they must use all their ammunition to defeat the Modi government in the upcoming elections. The occasion where Lalu launched his tirade against Modi was the first joint rally of Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) after the Janata Dal (United) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapped ties with the RJD and joined hands with the BJP to form a government in Bihar.

Also, every Opposition leader believes Lalu is still an anti-BJP messiah or an icon-- though he is a political leader whose conviction in the animal fodder scam was upheld by the Supreme Court. Lalu is out on bail on health grounds--but he has no qualms about indulging in full-scale political activity. Outside Bihar's caste lines, Lalu hardly brings any premium for the benefit of the Opposition.

The alleged scams including a "land-for-job" offer under his tenure as railway minister during the Congress-led UPA regime rankles those who became victims.

Modi’s Unwavering Popularity

On the other hand, Modi is at ease to show that all personal attacks on him are because of his government's anti-corruption drive against those politicians who have also perpetuated dynastic politics. Secondly, Modi feels that there is a huge emotional connection between him and a large voter base that won't approve or accept such a tirade. Hence, Modi makes it a point to evoke sympathy and support for himself while Opposition leaders like Lalu or Rahul Gandhi end up mocking him further.

Lalu's outburst against Modi was actually to counter the latter's frequent attack against "parivaarvaad" these days. "First, you should tell why you do not have any children or family. For the people with more children, he (Modi) says that it is dynasty politics. You don't have a family...You are not even a Hindu. Every Hindu tonsures their head to mourn their mother's death. Answer why did not you get your hair and beard removed...." That is how Lalu sought to mock Modi at the March 3 rally.

As expected, Modi asserted at all his rallies in Telangana and Tamil Nadu that the ‘140 crore people of India are my family’.

"Leaders of the INDI(A) alliance are deeply engrossed in corruption, nepotism and appeasement. They are becoming nervous. When I question their 'parivaarvaad', they say Modi has no family," he said at a rally in Telangana's Adilabad. "My life is an open book; 140 crore people of the country are my family. Today, crores of daughters, mothers and sisters of the country are Modi's family. Every poor person in the country is my family. Those who have no one belong to Modi and Modi belongs to them."

Modi's election strategists agree that it is an opportunity for the beginning of a big campaign move to boost Modi's image, which can transform into more votes as well as parliamentary seats for the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Previous Attacks on PM Modi

Last year, Rahul Gandhi’s remarks insinuating that Modi was a "panauti" (the one who had brought ill luck to the Indian cricket team), because he had gone to watch the World Cup final, became a big controversy. At an election rally in Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi had said, “PM means Panauti (jinx or ill omen) Modi.”

While, in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi, as the then Congress president, sought to show that crony capitalism and alleged irregularities in the Rafale aircraft deal were the legacy of Modi. He launched a "chowkidar chor hai" slogan against Modi as he had always described himself as a "chowkidar" who would protect the country's wealth and assets. All BJP leaders quickly changed the name of their X (formerly Twitter) handles and added "main bhi chowkidar" after their name.  Within days, the BJP's "main bhi chowkidar" campaign got a lot of traction.

Days before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had made a derogatory reference to Modi’s PM ambitions and referred to him as a “chaiwala” (tea-seller). Aiyar claimed that Modi would never become the prime minister of India. “He could sell tea at a Congress conclave,” he said. Soon the BJP launched the “chai pe charcha” (conversation over tea) campaign to show that the Congress insulted Modi's humble origin when the electorate was yearning for a change. Aiyar took a dig at Modi again before the Gujarat assembly elections in 2017, referring to him as a “neech aadmi”. Modi turned the tide, saying the remark was a casteist slur.

Of course, the first instance of the Congress handing over an issue to Modi was during the Gujarat polls of 2007 when Sonia Gandhi made her fiercest attack on him. She had described him as ‘Maut Ka Saudagar’ (merchant of death).  Modi successfully used it against Congress. The BJP won 117 of the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly.

Shekhar Iyer was senior associate editor of Hindustan Times and political editor of Deccan Herald. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.