“We always look for personalities as redeemers or messiahs,” says author-journalist Rasheed Kidwai, explaining why the Indian democracy revolves around cult figures, rather than political parties. This, he believes, has been the case historically – even more so since the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when Narendra Modi steered the Bharatiya Janata Party to a historic win against the Congress. With elections in five states due soon, the BJP has turned back to the driving force behind its repeated poll victories since 2014.

Faced with what could possibly be its toughest electoral battle in wake of the Covid pandemic, the BJP has embarked on a definite strategy to push ‘Brand Modi’ ahead of elections in states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Top leaders like Home minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda have made it a point to reassert PM Modi’s credentials as ‘Vikas Purush’. The slew of inaugurations by the PM in UP, before the poll code kicks in also hints at a similar BJP strategy.

Banking on Brand Modi

The BJP’s dependence on Modi to steer it through the tough political waters could not have been more pronounced. The fury against the government’s handling of the COVID-19 situation and the agitation over the farm laws has led to an understanding within the BJP that local leaders are bound to face anti-incumbency going into elections. Yet, recent poll surveys for the upcoming elections in five states, primarily Uttar Pradesh, suggest that may not be the case for the Prime Minister. 

A recent survey by YouGov, an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, shows that Modi’s approval rating among urban Indians has improved since August. The popularity has improved from 53 percent in the beginning of August to 58 percent in October. The survey said the approval for PM Modi is the highest among residents of North India- at 63 percent while the disapproval is the highest among South Indians at 36 percent.

Centrality of the Modi persona 

Can the BJP reduce its dependence on the prime minister in order to win successive elections across states? “Ideally yes, but practically no, because though India has imported the Westminster model of Parliamentary democracy, it is increasingly becoming a prime ministerial democracy. In 1951-52, the slogan was “a vote for Congress is a vote for Nehru”, but it is the other way round now.”

The problem, says Kidwai, is that the BJP, or any other party for that matter, cannot become independent of personalities. “It’s like in cricket where we are dependent on Kohli, Sachin or Dhoni rather than in teams like Australia where even players like Matthew Wade come at number 7 to bat because winning matches is the responsibility of the entire team.”

Author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, who has chronicled Modi’s political career till he became Prime Minister, believes that BJP’s increased reliance on Modi was because it is “a party which is driven by the centrality of the Modi persona.”

“That has been the feature of the BJP since 2014, with greater emphasis being given on the individual and less to the organisation. The organisation has primarily been a supplicant to the individual as different from the collegiate style of functioning of the Vajpayee-Advani era,” Mukhopadhyay tells FinancialExpress.com.

Brand Equity: The key to political success

Robin Sharma, founder of ShowTime Consulting, says that the BJP have managed to successfully create a perception that the PM is hard-working and honours his word, which has delivered the BJP electoral successes in all these years. 

“If you listen to his speeches, ‘gareeb’, ‘kisan’, ‘I come from a poor family’ – these words are more often used which reflect his personality as a pro-poor, thereby connecting him with masses,” Sharma tells FinancialExpress.com, adding that even in the case of repeal of farm laws, the PM has managed to position himself as someone who cares for farmers and the poor. “He has managed to present a personality that he is soft, when it comes to farmers or poor. He sent a message to the farmers and poor that he is a ‘Pradhan Sevak’,” he added. 

Communication has been a big plus for Modi when it comes to connecting with the masses. Amitabh Tiwari, senior advisor at WarRoom Strategies, suggests that Modi has been able to bridge the gap between the brand and the end consumer through the use of social media. “The brand has itself come to the end consumer. Today, anyone can access Modi on his phone, through videos, though features, through Namo App.”

Sharma agrees that establishing a connection with the masses is as important as having a vision, for both the leader and the party. “If you go to any backward area, people there are clear about Modi and BJP’s ideology, but confused about any other party.”

Brand Modi vs Brand Yogi

The PM’s growing popularity even in the face of adversaries, however, has also led to muted murmurs on when would be the right time for Modi to hang his boots, and if anyone within the party has the potential to match the PM in stature and brand value. There have been murmurs that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a leader in the BJP who has seen immense popularity in the past few years, and is seen by many as a successor of Modi.

Sanjay Kumar, Co-Director of Lokniti, says ‘Brand Modi’ may certainly wane in the UP elections because “Yogi has emerged very strong within the BJP”. He, however, cautions that even a strong regional leader like Yogi cannot downplay Brand Modi or think of superseding the prime minister. 

Kidwai, however, suggests that Yogi Adityanath is a “different kettle of fish” who has made his presence felt within the party, where Modi has clearly demarcated the lines between him and other leaders.

“Yogi Adityanath is not a person who has risen through the rank and file of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar and made a lateral entry, and has a parallel organisational network as far as the eastern UP is considered. So we know that even while being one of them, he is distinct,” said Mukhopadhyay.

The ‘Mood of the Nation’ survey conducted by India Today in August this year found Adityanath as the second most favourable PM face after Narendra Modi. However, his image of a staunch hardcore Hindutva is what may keep him from being accepted as a mass leader like Modi, who has sent out a clear message that he stands for strong leadership, corruption-free governance, transparency, social inclusiveness and nationalism.

“Possibly this is the first time that Modi has faced some kind of a challenge from within. This should not be considered as power struggle within the BJP as Yogi Adityanath is too small, his base is too limited to the hardcore Hindutva supporter. But there has been somebody who has stood up within the BJP who has said – “Me too, I too,” Mukhopadhyay concludes.