While the BJP’s campaign for the Lok Sabha election heavily leaned on Hindu-Muslim rhetoric, the opposition’s meticulously crafted narrative resonated with the pulse of the nation. In almost every poll speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi painted the opposition INDIA bloc as a coalition of corrupt dynasts, working towards Muslim appeasement. On the other hand, the opposition parties hit out at the BJP over issues, including inflation, unemployment, farmers’ income, minority rights, electoral bonds, caste census, healthcare and education, all while championing the cause of “saving democracy”.
With millions still denied basic necessities, the opposition spoke about the widening economic disparities. The Congress, a prominent member of the opposition INDIA bloc, stressed the need for inclusive growth and equitable resource allocation.
In its manifesto, Nyay Patra, the Congress party pledged a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) of crops. The party also announced the scrapping of the Agniveer scheme, and the removal of the 50 per cent cap on quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), in addition to advocating for reservations in private educational institutions.
In a country where caste divisions run deep, the opposition condemned caste-based discrimination and the unequal access to opportunities. Many opposition parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) pledged concrete actions in their campaigns, resonating with the aspirations of those yearning to break free from the shackles of caste-based oppression.
The Congress committed to conducting a caste census if elected to power.
Unemployment emerged as a rallying cry in the opposition’s campaign, striking a chord with the aspirations and anxieties of India’s burgeoning youth populace. With job creation lagging behind the expanding workforce, the opposition laid bare the incumbent government’s failure to address this pressing issue, advocating for skill development, entrepreneurship opportunities, and a conducive environment for job creation.
The Congress, in particular, raised apprehensions regarding the perceived nexus between the government and corporate behemoths led by billionaires like Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the ruling party of favouritism and crony capitalism, alleging that policies are tailored to benefit select corporate entities at the expense of the broader populace.
The opposition painted a stark portrait of a nation where wealth is hoarded by a privileged few, leaving the masses in poverty. The INDIA bloc advocated for policies that prioritise the welfare of the common people over the interests of the elite.
In their campaign, the opposition bloc also highlighted the opacity surrounding electoral bonds, decrying them as a channel for untraceable funds to sway electoral outcomes. While opposition parties like the Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress also received funds through electoral bonds, parties like the Communist Party of India (CPI) opposed this system, arguing that it undermines transparency in political funding and facilitates the influx of unaccounted wealth, thereby granting disproportionate influence to affluent donors and corporations.
Gandhi lambasted PM Modi over electoral bonds, dubbing the now-scrapped system the “world’s biggest scam.”
At the beginning of the campaign, PM Modi’s rallying cry for “400 Paar” faced staunch opposition from the Congress, which alleged a hidden agenda to alter the Constitution. PM Modi then told voters he needed 400 seats so that the Opposition could not succeed in its plan to put the “Babri lock” on the Ram Mandir or bring back Article 370.
Rahul Gandhi pledged to conduct a financial survey and committed to depositing Rs 8,000 every month into the bank accounts of underprivileged women. The Congress also vowed to provide free monthly rations to the impoverished.
Addressing criticism over its stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), senior Congress leader P Chidambaram assured the repeal of the controversial legislation in the first parliamentary session post-elections.
Despite setbacks, such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, the opposition campaign gained momentum with his subsequent release on interim bail. Kejriwal, leading a vigorous campaign, attacked PM Modi saying, “He (Modi) is turning 75 next September. He is the one who made the rule that those who turn 75 had to retire. He has to retire next year. I ask the BJP, ‘who is your PM pick?’”
