Modi won the Elections 2019

While driving to work this morning came wafting in the airwaves on the NPR Morning News - "Prime Minister Modi won a second term in India". Something struck me other than the fact that Modi won. Technically we are a Parliamentary Democracy and the BJP led front NDA came out victorious. Modi is going to be the next Prime Minister by virtue of the leader of the just elected Legislators of NDA which is the largest coalition. It will be a formality.

Modi ran the campaign on purely Presidential style. He was the one man army Blitzkrieged through his opponents who were at best Regional satraps. It was Modi versus the rest. People voted for him rather than BJP or any of its allies. It is like Obama or Bush winning a 2nd term. Modi (Indira and Nehru before him) vindicated that since Independence from the British most of the Elections in India were fought Presidential style.

Unlike Rahul, Priyanka and Sonia, like him or not, Modi is a risk taker. Rahul campaigned like a headless chicken while Priyanka chickened out from taking on Modi in Varanasi. Modi set the agenda, dominated the discussion, the airwaves, the all powerful social media while the Opposition dilly dallied without a coherent strategy.

I always thought USA is a divided nation over bipartisanship, but this Election back home in India makes me think we can give Americans a run for money as far as divisive campaign goes. It has been marred by extensive use of words like BHAKT (ascribed to the fanatic, devotional supporters of Modi. Nothing riles them more than being addressed as a Bhakt) and PAPPU attributed to Rahul Gandhi which means a slow witted nincompoop.

The end results which came hours ago after a grueling 7 week campaign were ecstatic for some, loads of frustration for others. Bottom line, whatever spectrum you are in, the people's mandate needs to be respected. For the supporters of the losing parties - please be a graceful loser. Don't crib about EVM manipulation without providing any proof to back your allegation. For the winning party - don't be an abysmal winner by escalating things or taunting your political  opponents, suggesting burnol for them.

Modi and his man Friday Amit Sah made some risky but brilliant strategies. They used the services of the likes of Sadhvi Pragyan to appease and fire up it's right wing base, then distance from her and pretend to drop her like hot potato when she became too hot to handle. She managed a win for herself and many from her party. The strategy was filled with risk but paid dividends at the end.

For the likes of Mamata Banerjee over pampering of the minorities proved detrimental. She should take a cue from her own state of Bengal - how it took her years to defeat the Left front, by one Election at a time. BJP is exactly doing the same, being upswing in Bengal and making some heavy inroads. So, look out for the party. It could do the same to you, what you did to the CPM led Left Front.

For likes of Sharad Pawar, Laloo, Sonia, Yashwsnt Sinha et all it is the end of their dream as they will most likely be dead or invalid by 2024. The likes of Naidu, Maya, Mamata need to hold on to their Prime Ministeral ambition for now. A week is a long time in politics. Five years is eons.

Modi has a long list of tasks cut out for him. Those are difficult but not mission impossible with the mandate he got. Please be a leveller than a divider. Not a single Muslim and Christian friend of mine like you. You need to be inclusive, not divisive. We have a population of 200 million minorities who live in every town, village, city and state - in every nook and corner of our country. We can't throw them into Indian Ocean, rather learn to cohabit with them. Remember - Hyping of Hindutva and nationalism has an expiration date, unless you follow up with governance.

Also don't forget to tell some of your recalcitrant party members not to get high hallucinating about Ravan's private jet supposedly built in 5485 BC. Please rebuild the lost scientific temper to build our own fighter jets, not to be at the mercy of buying them from Americans, Russians with 101 strings attached. No doubt we had a golden past, but let's not dwell on it - Rather focus on the future.

Last but the least, please ensure some solid Bureaucratic reforms. A person who cleared Civil services in 1985 with History and Anthropology as subjects doesn't automatically qualify to lead Industries, Power Plants and Economic governing bodies. We really appreciate you taking on the Lutyens Mafia and their Babu acolytes head on. I would like to see the end of their stranglehold and the all pervasive DALAALi (middle men) culture of Delhi. Please ensure their extinction by 2024, because who knows, this could be your last chance. Good luck.