Political ‘Unit Test’

The Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana are a testing period for the coming days of national politics

I remember those days, when before Diwali, we would have ‘unit tests’ at schools. At a time when the atmosphere is filled with festivities, appearing in tests was torturous. More so, such tests would happen after every two months. More torturous! Today, when I look at the politics of India, I am reminded of the unit tests.

The state elections of Maharashtra and Haryana, and thereafter the elections in Jharkhand (and maybe J&K) in less than two months, reminds me of how much these elections are like our ‘unit tests’.

Up until now the ‘unit test’ i.e. the state elections were a crucial test for the local and regional parties and leaders. Not much attention was given or paid to assembly elections. It was only the regional newspapers and news channels who gave coverage to them. Attention by the national dailies and news channels was very little, except maybe on the counting day, when half-an-hour of the prime time was given to analyzing and dissecting the elections. Even the political talks were confined only to the state where elections were to be held. But this time around, the election atmosphere has gone beyond the state borders. That’s not surprising. Ever since the Lok Sabha elections, the political contours of Indian politics have changed. Be it the by-polls, or the ongoing elections, the vigour, the anticipation, the dynamics to cover these elections are over the top. And the reason why this has happened is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. You can hate it, you can overlook it, but it is the reality. The face of Indian politics no longer remains what it was two years back, or even last year.

The elections of Maharashtra and Haryana is therefore, a huge tell- tell of how much the face of Indian politics has changed. In every way these state elections have a new road to pave in.

Today when the voters go out, each and every press on the button will show the tectonic shift in Indian politics. Somebody will vote to finish the caste politics; others will vote to reject the politics of regionalism. Some would vote for the national parties; others might be rebuffing them. And this is not something which would be happening for the first time. It has happened before. But what sets it apart this time is the personal touch of the Prime Minister. Narendra Modi, after all has given his heart, soul and his voice to these state elections. That is why everybody will be intently watching the outcome of this ‘unit test’.

No doubt these elections are very important for everybody, more so for the smaller regional parties. It’s a do-or-die situation for them. Sharad Pawar, Om Prakash Chautala, are not just any ordinary face in the Indian politics. For Sharad Pawar, it is a fight to survive. Then for the Chautala family, it is a litmus test for their family politics. And above all, more than for anybody, these elections are crucial for both Modi and Amit Shah. Today’s voting in both Maharashtra and Haryana will impact the power of Modi and Amit Shah.

For Modi it will not only be a referendum on his five month as Prime Minister, but also of his personal charm and magic. These elections will be a key to gauge and determine how high the Modi fever continues to grip the nation.

Narendra Modi had relentlessly campaigned during these elections. He went on a whirlwind campaigning spree in both the states. He addressed 38 rallies in a span of fifteen days, with 27 in Maharashtra, visiting the smallest and remotest parts of the state, and 11 in Haryana. He was questioned, criticized for being a campaigner rather than a Prime Minister. But Modi undeterred, took on a dual role and went on to aggressively campaign for his party. Therefore, the result will determine the magical image of his Prime Ministership.

But the worst impact would be on Amit Shah. After all he has been the man behind all the politics that has been played. It would be a test of his ‘gambling’ skills. The decision to go solo in Maharashtra was a very bold decision taken by Amit Shah. It was his decision to break the alliance with Shiv Sena. Shah has worked almost along the same parameters as he had during the Lok Sabha elections in UP. He deployed the force at the booth level, and employed micro strategies on local issues. Taking in full support of the (in)visible hand, the RSS, he has got it all set for the BJP’s ball rolling in both the states. Therefore, if BJP does below the expected marks then his ability could be questioned by Modi and the partymen. The outcome would not lead to the senior retired leaders of the party being happy within to see the duo loose, it would definitely lead to some internal tensions in the party.

But if the duo manages to pull another massive win, it would pave a new road for Indian politics. If local factors get overshadowed and people vote in favour of Modi and the BJP, there would be no stopping them. And this could further lead to a political withering of established leaders and parties. It would also be political travesty that Congress, which had a painful rout at the Lok Sabha elections, faces the same fate.

These elections therefore are not just ‘unit tests’, and can no longer be looked upon as one. Assembly elections have become more than just that. They are almost like the final exams. After all that is the reason why we all had gone through those torturous days of taking up unit tests. It was not only an indicator of how far we had come with our course studies, but was a glimpse of how our final exams are going to be. Similarly, these assembly elections are a testing period for the coming days of national politics.

About The Author

Shruti Vyas

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