How Modi reshaped India’s political map

ON May 20, 2014, Narendra Modi knelt on the steps of Parliament and touched his forehead on the run aground. He was presently to be elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata company’s (BJP) parliamentary company. Interior the historic central hall, slogans and cheers reverberated as he was showered with praise for steering the BJP to a historic win in the Lok Sabha polls. Party patriarch LK Advani said it was the BJP and “Narendra Bhai Ki Kripa” (with his blessings) that he could see the day.When Modi rose to speak, his voice cracked with emotion. “Advaniji ne ek shabd kaha. Main Advanji se prarthna karoonga ki woh iss shabd ka istmaal na kare... (Advaniji used a word. I will request him not to use this term)...” he said adding that he considered BJP as his mother, and a son serves the mother.He then proceeded to explain how the election verdict was a “vote for the BJP” and not against the Congress. “Had it been a fractured verdict then one could say that people had vented their anger against the government and that it was anti-establishment. But by giving BJP an absolute majority they have voted for hope and trust. People have voted for hope and faith,” he said.It was this verdict that the PM and his party set out to amplify as they sought to expand the BJP’s reach both geographically as well as ideologically. From being in power in seven states before the May verdict, the BJP has grown to being in power in 21 states in 2026.“We were in (power) five states, which were also our strongholds, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh and in alliance with our partners in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. Today we are in power in 21, including West Bengal and Odisha where we were never in power, and PM Modi’s leadership has made it possible,” said a senior party leader and a national office bearer.He credited the BJP’s rise under Modi to the PM’s “holistic vision”. “The biggest driver of this change was welfare. Policies for the marginalised, innovation, infrastructure, improved federalism while sticking to the tenets of Hindutva and Antyodaya has seen the BJP emerge as a pan national entity,” the leader said. Antyodaya or the philosophy of serving the last person in the queue, propagated by party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, is perceived as the foundation for the government’s welfare outreach.“Barring a few states, where the BJP is dependent on allies, the party can on its own steam win elections. We have been able to form a government even in the far north eastern region where finding a party office, a few years ago, was difficult. And this happened because of the PM’s vision and Amit Shah’s strategy,” said the leader quoted above.The party’s decisive win in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and landmark victories in Odisha and Bengal, helped demolish the perception that the BJP was couldn’t win against regional behemoths such as the Biju Janata Dal in Odisha, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar, or the Samajwadi Party in UP.“The Congress, which after Independence was the dominant force that crushed the aspirations of the regional leaders and ruled for five decades, has now been politically vanquished… It was because of its misrule that allies such as the Janata Dal and the TDP preferred the NDA to the INDIA ( alliance),” the leader said.A second party functionary who worked with Modi when the latter was party, general secretary in Delhi, said the PM’s “assertive, indomitable approach” to problems, coupled with his ability to take harsh decisions, has rewritten the rules of the game.“Earlier leaders stayed away from what was considered impossible or not politically sound. He took on the dynasts, he gave people from the most marginalised sections a voice and when it came to hard decisions, he persisted in the face of opposition and criticism,” the second leader said.The emergence of the marginalised castes and their political representation has altered the composition and complexion of legislative bodies. A third party functionary, who is also a Rajya Sabha lawmaker, said the last 12 years have been an era of change with Modi “rewriting the grammar of politics”.“From giving positions in the party and the government to non-dynasts to ensuring unsung heroes working for the people are picked for the prestigious Padma awards, he has rewritten the rules. Recognition of work and talent has overridden the culture of sifarish (recommendation),” the MP said.Modi’s colleagues also credit the PM for opening up new channels for communication through his monthly radio broadcasts, Mann Ki Baat, and his social media handles.“He has ensured that work speaks and elected representatives are judged on the basis of their performance. In fact, there is a standing joke, if anyone is putting in a word for you, then it’s a given that you will not get the job!” said the MP quoted above.Party leaders also assert that the party’s social engineering or bringing together a coalition of castes, which has been identified as a key reason for the BJP’s consolidation, was strengthened by the PM’s outreach.“He has managed to convey the message that politics is not merely a position, but a thought process. The choice of people – whether it was for Rashtrapati Bhavan or Rajya Sabha – is not based on clout, but on attributes, be it a person from the most backward region or a deprived tribe...,” said the MP.The party’s expansion and the electoral success has also been attributed to the PM’s insistence on changing the systems for “ease of living”.“There are states such as Madhya Pradesh where the BJP has been in power for three decades. We have won elections in Maharashtra and Haryana bucking anti-incumbency because the work done by the government has ensured good governance outcomes,” said a fourth leader, who is also a former state president.The leader said during Congress rule there was a very popular slogan, ‘Congress ka haath, garib ke saath’ (The hand of Congress is with the poor- an indication of the party’s pro poor policy). “...But it remained just a slogan. Their own leader (PM), Rajiv Gandhi had admitted that there were excessive leakages and by the time the money meant for beneficiaries reached them, it was substantially reduced,” the fourth leader said. After his visit to Kalahandi in Odisha in 1985, Gandhi while referring to the corruption had remarked only 15 paise out of a rupee reached the poor.Doubling down on direct benefit transfers, women-centric schemes, and fewer bureaucratic interventions in clearances have contributed to the BJP’s success.“As a leader who spent time in the midst of people, experienced their difficulties, he has ensured that the policies that are drafted are tailored to help the poor. There is constant review to ensure that there are no gaps in implementation and there is saturation of schemes,” the fourth leader said.His emphasis on accountability and transparency in the working of the government, is being emulated in the states as well. A senior leader from Bihar said, in the cabinet meeting, ministers are now expected to make presentations and take questions, which was earlier being done by bureaucrats, “The PM’s message was to ensure that ministers are accountable. It is no longer afsarshahi (bureaucracy) but lokshahi (democracy)…” the leader from Bihar said.As he completes 12 years, Modi is credited with reshaping polity, de-centralising authority and building new vote bases. “The BJP’s core vote bank today are the labharthis (beneficiaries) who no longer pass through a serpentine process to get their dues… He created a constituency of people who do not shy away from cultural nationalism and are an active participant in the Viksit Bharat [developed India]campaign and this is just the beginning,” said the fourth leader. “The PM has already set us new goals.”