As coalition karma bites BJP, social media digs out Modi's old jibes at 'gathbandan'
Many social media handles are digging out old videos where the Hindutva leaders have ridiculed the opposition tie-up.
Many social media handles are digging out old videos where the Hindutva leaders have ridiculed the opposition tie-up.
Many social media handles are digging out old videos where the Hindutva leaders have ridiculed the opposition tie-up.
Narendra Modi is all set to be sworn in as India's prime minister for the consecutive third time. Yet this time, he will assume office as the head of a coalition government as the BJP failed to get an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha election 2024.
While coalition governments are not new for India, over the past 10 years (i.e. in his two terms as the prime minister), Modi, outgoing Home Minister Amit Shah and a majority of BJP leaders scoffed at gathbandhan (Hindi for coalition) claiming that 'people of varied interests have joined together trying to beat the might BJP and Modi'.
Now that Modi and BJP are forced to adhere to the 'coalition dharma', many social media handles are digging out old videos where the Hindutva leaders have ridiculed the opposition tie-up.
Though the INDIA bloc was formed only ahead of this year's election, the BJP had publicly scoffed at the attempts at the opposition tie-up even in 2019. Speaking at a rally, Shah said that fearing the Modi wave, 'saanp, neola, kutti, kutta, billi sab ek judh hoke chunaav lad rahe hein (snakes, mongoose, dogs and cats have joined together).
Modi, who last year told the Rajya Sabha that "ek Modi sab pe bhari" (opposition can't handle one Modi), had also called the opposition alliance as opportunistic and selfish.
Calling the INDIA bloc the corruption hangout ('loot ka adda'), Modi even claimed that if the opposition came to power, the coalition partners would be busy only with swearing-in ceremonies.
In an election rally in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Modi said the opposition has constructed a formula to have multiple prime ministers. "They have come out with a formula to have one prime minister for each year. If they get a chance for five years they will have five PMs," he declared adding that the "country will never accept such leaders".
With the saffron party failing to get a majority, and spectacularly falling behind the 'char sau paar' (400-plus) dream, Modi will have been part of the coalition, which he has never done in his entire political career. Time will tell how he manages the 'gathbandhan dharma'.