Thread by @ganesan312

Missed target

Modi thought his Bangladesh visit would help the BJP in Bengal. But every action has multiple effects in politics.

BJP had made ‘illegal infiltration’ a big issue in Assam. Shah built his entire campaign attacking AIUDF leader Ajmal for supporting infiltrators.
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Modi’s sweet talk in Dhaka blunted the edge of Shah’s emotive plank. His attacks on Ajmal sounded hollow as AIUDF leader tweeted and wished Modi a pleasant stay in Bangladesh; requested him to discuss the deportation of illegal immigrants, border sealing to stop infiltration.
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Modi has not raised these issues. Congress was uncomfortable with Shah’s focus on AIUDF, now feels Shah’s blusters on Ajmal sound like a joke.

BJP’s 8-phase polling for Bengal also helped Congress as it could delink Kerala allowing Rahul to enter Bengal later. It thanks BJP.
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Silent push
Assam:

Baghel is working at the grassroots, made several trips since his appointment as party’s observer in January. Jitendra Singh & Baghel have until now done a “good job” helping a “deeply divided” party mount a strong challenge; silently activated grassroots.
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Baghel reportedly deployed his own team of around 400 people; he held many small meetings, interactions and roadshows to connect with voters, wooing them with the good things his government has done for the farmers and for income generation.
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Most importantly, Baghel tells voters that whatever the BJP is “selling” today was “built” by Congress, to counter the BJP’s claim that no development took place during the Congress rule. Win or lose, Baghel’s silent push to boost the party’s prospects have to be acknowledged.
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Harsh truth
Kerala:

Rajagopal recently left BJP leaders squirming as he attributed the 90 per cent literacy in the state as the reason why his party was not growing there. The remark came just days after his admission of a Congress-BJP-IUML understanding in the 1991 polls.
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By now Amit Shah has perhaps realized that there is only so much he can do in Kerala without a full grasp of the issues; Repeating what his state leaders have been saying; hardly moved away from the Sabarimala or the more recent gold smuggling cases.
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Unlike Rahul Gandhi who makes it a point to address audience in English, jumps into sea waters; gives Aikido tips to students, Shah sticks to Hindi and harps on the same set of issues.

The BJP’s ‘Chanakya’ seems out of his depth when stuck in unfamiliar political territory.
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The above thread provides a gist of some election-related points of a recent editorial in The Telegraph dated 28 March 2021.

The elections in 5 states entering the crucial stage, with BJP’s usual dramas, actions combined with its aggressive, bulldozing, manoeuvring politics.
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With BJP’s full display of power throttling all independent institutions and fake news, paid news playing their part, everything looks hazy. Further contrasting signals are planted, proliferated to confuse the voters and people. Making sense out of them is becoming difficult.
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I do see BJP losing its grip on the political situation and strategies. Some nervousness could be seen from the actions and reactions of BJP leaders. We are to wait and watch.

Your comments, opinion are welcome.
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