The surprise decision by the Narendra Modi government to reduce LPG cylinder rates by Rs 200 for all consumers and extend the Ujjwala Yojana to 75 lakh additional recipients has set off speculation that the BJP-led central government may go for early Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for May-June, at the end of this year.
At least two Chief Ministers from the INDIA opposition front — Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar — have sounded the alarm bells, with the former categorically declaring that the General Elections could be held in December or January. News18, however, has reliably learnt that the Modi government is in no mood to go for early elections.
‘No Early Elections’
A top minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet is learnt to have laughed at the idea of early Lok Sabha elections in close quarters. The influential BJP leader is learnt to have said there is no reason the government should or would consider going for early elections. The minister reportedly reasoned that such a move would be “wrong” given that the 303-seat mandate Narendra Modi won in 2019 was for five years. The BJP government will “complete its term”, the minister reportedly said.
Another senior BJP leader echoed the minister’s view, arguing against any possibility of early General Elections. “Consecutive rankings of world leaders show Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still leading at the top spot, beating leaders like France’s Emmanuel Macron or US President Joe Biden. His approval ratings have been consistent since 2019. So why would we want to go for early election?” the senior BJP leader told News18 on condition of anonymity.
Just ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a Pew Research survey has showed that around 80% Indians have a very favourable view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also states that around seven in 10 Indians believe India has recently become more influential.
According to the BJP leader quoted above, opposition leaders “haven’t yet understood” Modi’s “developmental politics”. The leader argued that the reduction of LPG cylinder rates — that has brought down the unsubsidised LPG cylinders in Delhi to Rs 903 and Mumbai to Rs 902 from August 30 — is meant to rein in inflation.
“People would vote for the BJP on developmental agendas, not on these price reductions,” he added.
He cited the success and increasing the subscriber count of Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana among the driving factors that will help the BJP get re-elected.
BJP May Have a Surprise Up Its Sleeve
While it may not be as big as early elections, the BJP might spring a surprise ahead of General Elections after all. The party is actively considering announcing a candidate list for certain seats, mostly the weaker ones, even before the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll dates by the Election Commission of India. This is in line with the announcement of the candidate list for weaker seats in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections after an early Central Election Committee meeting by the saffron party.
The BJP has, over the last year, identified 161 Lok Sabha seats it considers weak and has made winning these its prime focus. Last year, the party constituted a four-member committee, including Dilip Ghosh and Bijayant Jay Panda, to scan weak booths across the country.
The year-long exercise zeroed in on 161 Lok Sabha seats for which top leaders were sent for ‘pravas’ (tour) and asked to prepare reports on what ails the saffron party in these constituencies. Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah is also said to have cracked the whip on MPs seen taking the exercise lightly.
The party has convened an all-important meeting on September 1 to review the ‘pravas’ which will be attended by top leaders, including Amit Shah and JP Nadda.
BJP sources indicated that, after the review meeting, the party is likely to proceed to the next stage – looking for dynamic candidates who can challenge rivals in these seats. One such seat is Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri, a Yadav family bastion, which Union Minister Jitendra Singh recently visited.
MoS External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh visited Sikkim’s capital Gangtok and Arjun Ram Meghwal visited Jalandhar.
Another significant seat is the Gandhi family bastion of Rae Bareli. After the shock defeat of Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is hoping to oust the Congress from Rae Bareli in 2024.
Sources told News18 the BJP is “very seriously considering” announcing some names, if not all 161, on these seats for early advantage in campaigning.
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