PM NARENDRA MODI WANTS 350 BJP MPs IN 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be in perpetual election mode with a current focus on the north-eastern state of Tripura in India where the next round of state assembly elections are scheduled as well as the southern state of Karnataka in the coming months. And yet, the Modi juggernaut has also upped the ante on the international political landscape for a high stakes gambit likely to transcend India as a major world player to pitchfork the Indian premier into the race for the next Nobel peace prize.

The latest endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came a couple of days ago when Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy called him up ostensibly to congratulate him on ascending to the presidency of the G20 formation of nations. Zelenskyy tweeted thereafter and said, “I had a phone call with@PMOIndia.”

Narendra Modi wished a successful G20 presidency. It was on this platform that announced the peace formula and now, I count on India’s participation on its implementation. I also thanked for humanitarian aid and support in the UN (United Nations).” Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had also paid glowing tributes to an emergent India under PM Modi’s leadership evidencing his amiability to India playing a mitigating role to end the Russian conflict with Ukraine.

While Modi plays peacemaker on the global stage currently, his international role during the global Covid 19 pandemic has also been acknowledged as a game changer by the world. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) had acknowledged India’s professional and sanitized response to deal with the Covid 19 pandemic right since its outbreak in February 2020 considering the herculean task of protecting and vaccinating a 1.38 billion plus population in India was concerned. PM Modi’s emphasis on the development of an indigenous vaccine in the country that was also subsequently distributed free of cost to several underdeveloped nations of the world came in for particular acclaim globally.

“India’s Prime Minister played the role of a catalyst, even providing Rs 3,000 crore in funding, for the accelerated development of a vaccine against nCov through public-private enterprise that proved crucial in the battle against the nCov. Not only that, he also exported the Indian vaccine free of cost to less developed nations of the world that were reeling under the impact of the pandemic even as exorbitant costs demanded by European vaccine manufacturers ruled out their ability to purchase those vaccines,” a senior BJP leader told First India. He added, “While Balakot played an important role to ensure a 300 plus Lok Sabha result in favour of the BJP in 2019, the Prime Minister’s proactive human service record is expected to secure the political future of party even in 2024 general elections when the party expects to further consolidate its presence across India by achieving a target of electing over 350 Members of Parliament in Lok Sabha.”

The only political reversal that may adversely impact the BJP prospects in the 2024 polls is the looming worry regarding Supreme Court of India’s likely verdict on the issue of political reservations for the other backward caste communities (OBC) coming before the general elections are announced, the senior BJP leader noted.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

RENNI ABRAHAM The writer is Honorary Consulting Editor, First India Mumbai