Thread by @KumudShankar

1. The stated reasons UPA lost the 2014 General Elections were the charges of corruption that plagued the 10yr rule. CWG, 2G & Coalgate. Mostly the cases were dismissed or trials are still on-going. Beyond the stated goals was the high decibel IAC campaign led by Anna Hazare &

2. Kejriwal. They targeted the Cong on charges of corruption as well as the unfortunate Delhi gangrape case. Before the BJP, it was the IAC & Team Kejriwal that weaponised social media to run slanderous & malafide campaigns of defamation against personalities, namely Sonia Gandhi

3. Sheila Dixit & Rahul Gandhi. It paid off. The UPA gov was caught at the opposite end of PR debacle as it fought off corruption charges, rape cases, Radia tapes, Lokayukta demands with a poorly executed communication plan.
If you remove the corruption charges & consider that

4. most of them didn’t have any steam in them, you’ll understand how brilliant the UPA was. It gave us some of the most visionary welfare schemes like MNREGA, Right to Education, RTI, Food Bill, Jan Lokpal, UIDAI Aadhar while at the same time safeguarding the people from the 2008

5. global financial crisis. Our borders were safe. Globally, India emerged as a strong voice of democracy. Above all, we didn’t hate each other. We didn’t see kindly ppl who attacked couple & women at clubs or public places. There was no fear of lynching or rioting. But UPA did

6. lose elections. The hope for those who voted for Modi was a resurgent Indian economy. It was wrong on 2 fronts, 1. The economy was doing great. 2. Post 2014, we have slid on major economic indicators.
Moreover, they desired for a Hindu Rashtra. What is a Hindu Rashtra? Answers

7. are vague varying across people & time. It was all smoke mixing lies, faulty narrative, manufactured fear, global conspiracies. Compared to where we left in 2014, leave apart the Adani-Ambani, BJP ministers & leaders, most of us have slided down in living std. No, digitisation

8. doesn’t mean great life as it was a technological evolution that was on way. Living in terms of income security, prices, happiness, harmony, pensions, state welfare, freedom from monopolies, disease management, parameters that impact our lives daily. Take Hinu-Muslim out of

9. equation & compare life before 2014 & today. Life as it has impacted you & not some data which perhaps people who manufacture also don’t understand.
It’s important you’ve this conversation with yourself & your friends & family before you vote. & talk with them, don’t fight!