What has been conspicuous in all three of the electoral campaigns before us is of course the larger-than-life persona of Narendra Modi.
The common thread that runs through the election campaigns of the Modi decade has been the systematic mediatisation of the Modi cult right from the days when he appeared on ‘Aap ki Adalat’ (India TV) in April 2014 and responded to Rajat Sharma’s supposed “grilling” before an audience consciously packed with cheering supporters.
In 2019, he personally addressed more rallies than any other BJP politician, constantly messaging that every vote cast for the party in the election will go to him personally.
This time, even before the elections were announced, we had the ‘Modi Guarantee’ thrust on us through public hoardings and newspaper advertisements.
30/03/2024