NEW DELHI: If he wins, Narendra Modi will become the first non-Congress Prime Minister to achieve a hat-trick of victories.
The election results for the 2024 Lok Sabha, which will be announced on Tuesday, will not only determine the political careers of many leaders but also script history. Whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins or falls short for some reason, the country’s politics will take a new turn either way. If he wins, Modi will become the first non-Congress Prime Minister to achieve a hat-trick of victories. This will mark the beginning of a new chapter in history, as he will be the first person to accomplish this feat on his own.
The election was essentially Narendra Modi versus the Rest. If the BJP wins, all credit goes to PM Modi. If any Constitutional changes are made in his third term, it is likely to be for “one nation, one election” and not abolishing reservation as has been claimed by the Opposition.
However, the Congress has opposed “one nation, one election” in its manifesto. If all elections in the country are held simultaneously, the biggest loss will be for Congress.
Other regional parties will also be affected. Congress can stop this decision only if it becomes powerful in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Currently, its position in both Houses is weak. This Lok Sabha election is about preserving its existence. If the party can repeat the miracle of 2004, the entire situation will change. Rahul Gandhi will become the hero of the victory, and both his and the party’s existence will be secured. For Rahul Gandhi, this election is a matter of political existence. If he loses, questions about him will intensify within the party. There are already murmurs about bringing in Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. After Rahul, the next leader would be Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. If the I.N.D.I Alliance loses, Kejriwal’s troubles will increase further. During the campaign, he repeatedly said that if the alliance doesn’t win, they will put him back in jail. Kejriwal and his party are facing crisis after crisis. It is possible that Delhi could once again become a Union Territory. Hence, any defeat of the I.N.D.I Alliance will have the most significant impact on Rahul and Kejriwal.
As for the leaders of other constituent parties, Sharad Pawar is considered to be in his final political innings. It will be interesting to see if he remains with the alliance if it loses. Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee will continue in their respective states as long as they are in a position to challenge the BJP.
The situation seems to have got bad for the I.N.D.I Alliance because of their repeated attacks on PM Modi. Also, it hasn’t helped the Congress to go to battle with Rahul as the face, minus a strong organizational structure. The party appeared divided, with a handful of leaders dominating it. Experienced and knowledgeable leaders limited themselves to state politics and kept their distance from Delhi. If all the experienced leaders and former Chief Ministers had worked as a team from Delhi, the situation might have been different. The election campaign seems to have been fought solely by Rahul and Priyanka, as they held road shows, meetings, press conferences, etc. Priyanka spent 12 days in Rae Bareli and Amethi. Thus, 4 June is going crucial for the brother-sister duo. If they lose, I.N.D.I Alliance leaders will likely distance themselves from them.