Despite the pain and stress people may have gone through in view of the demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Photo: AFP)
Despite the pain and stress people may have gone through in view of the demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity seems to be intact. He still enjoys the respect and affection of the masses, surveys and political developments in the past year point so.
In elections held immediately after demonetisation, people at large stood by the PM and gave a positive mandate to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, besides success in the civic polls in Odisha, Maharashtra, and Chandigarh.
The common man may have suffered due to the note ban, yet people are willing to give Modi a chance to continue with his policies as they seem to have realised that his actions are aimed at their larger good. There are also critics who say it is Modi’s ‘Hindu Nationalist Agenda’ that he so ferociously manifests that attracts the people who see him as a courageous leader with a mind of his own.
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Gujarat is seeing one of the most closely fought elections in the recent times. The opposition sidelined for nearly two decades is teeming with energy to pin the PM down over demonetisation, GST and the “economic slowdown”.
It is a fact that there has been a tremendous strain on the common people, small businesses, daily wage earners because of the economic decisions taken by the Modi government. However, the society has accepted, though with a pinch of salt, and since moved on.
The Congress’ campaign in Gujarat is aimed at highlighting the plight of the common man post-demonetisation and GST, but the larger audience still wants to trust brand Modi. There are some in the BJP also who say that the government has made a ‘mess’ of the economy and will affect the party’s prospects in the elections.
How the public will respond will only be known on 18 December 2018, but one thing is sure, Brand Modi is for sure going strong.
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