PM warns BJP: Be alert over ‘anti-incumbency’

Tells core group: Avoid ‘India Shining’ mistakes of ’04

While the Opposition parties continue to seek the elusive “unity” to take on the BJP in the 2024 electoral battle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began in earnest and asked the party leadership to keep an ear to the ground. He cited the “India Shining” campaign ahead of the 2004 general elections and cautioned them against becoming overconfident.

After the BJP national executive meeting in January, wherein Mr Modi reminded the party leaders that only 400 days are left for the next general elections, the sources said that the PM, during a core group meeting of the BJP top brass, expressed concern over “anti-incumbency” in some of the BJPruled states.

During the meeting, the PM said that despite the India Shining blitzkrieg the BJP-led NDA failed to retain power because the voters found a disconnect between the campaign and the reality. He asked the BJP’s top brass to keep track of issues that can hamper the party’s poll prospects.

Amidst the BJP’s electoral wins since 2014, Mr Modi has on numerous occasions cautioned the BJP leaders against becoming complacent and advised them to follow the practise of “sampark aur samvaad” (connect and dialogue) with the people to beat anti-incumbency.

Hailed as the BJP’s ‘“poll mascot”, Mr Modi cautioned the BJP leaders during the party’s recent national executive meeting that they should not completely rely on him for winning polls and turn anti-incumbency into proincumbency. In states like Karnataka, Gujarat, Tripura and Uttarakhand, the BJP had undertaken major organisational changes, including leadership changes, to combat anti-incumbency.

In Karnataka, Assembly polls are due in April-May this year and the main Opposition Congress is giving a tough challenge to the BJP. During the meeting of the core group of the central BJP, which was also attended by the party president J.P. Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, Mr Modi, it was learnt, also asked the leaders to strengthen the feedback mechanism and a direct connect between senior leaders and the karyakartas (cadre).

PM SAID that despite the India Shining blitzkrieg the BJP-led NDA failed to retain power because the voters found a disconnect between the campaign and the reality