Before Modi, Indira Gandhi used to do Mann Ki Baat

The third session on Day 2 of the Journalists Literature Festival was on ‘political narratives in state and national elections: BJP versus the opposition’, which featured journalists Jagtar Singh, Manraj Grewal Sharma, Jatin Gandhi, and Nidhi Sharma.

Grewal set the ball rolling by asking whether the 2024 election was a one-horse race as isbeing projected. Sharma said, “It’s not over till its over. Look what happened to the India Shining Campaign. In 2019, even the BJP was not sure whether it would win for a second term, Pulwama was a Godsend. The BJP is looking confident, but if you go state by state and from regional player to regional player you might be surprised. One-month is a very long time in politics. As journalists it is our responsibility to look at other factors driving the election.”

On the BJP’s superior messaging Nidhi Sharma said, “No matter them winning across states, they have not lost the fire in their belly. Just look at the Chandigarh mayoral election. No election is too small. Messaging is important. While PM Modi was one day seen speaking a Ujjwala scheme beneficiary about tea, the next day Rahul and Sonia were seeing making marmalade, which not a lot of people are able to relate to.” 

“INC’s messaging is lost, few know that before Modi started Mann Ki Baat, Indira Gandhi also had her own programme on the All India Radio,” added Nidhi Sharma.

Gandhi, however, was of the opinion BJP’s narrative is not the Ram Temple, it is Ram Rajya. The BJP is agile when it comes to grasping opportunities. The temple is there, but the shelf life of it is limited, so it is a promise of Ram Rajya.

Jagtar Singh said that the freedom of expression is under threat. It is no ordinary election, the content and character of democracy in India is changing very fast. It is a very serious issue. Even innocuous tweets on the farmer protest is being taken down. Where is this country heading to? Are we heading towards dictatorship? Are we free to write, are we free to speak?”