The enthusiasm with which top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party have rushed to credit Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of the recently concluded G20 Summit offers some crucial indicators. With just months to go for the crucial Lok Sabha elections where PM Modi will seek a third term in power, a feat only Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has achieved in the history of independent India so far, the BJP is sure to use the G20 success as a plank to bolster the PM’s image of a “Vishwa Guru”.
Through the years, PM Modi has spoken about India assuming the leadership role in global affairs as “Vishwa Guru” in his speeches. In his opening remarks at the G20 Summit, the PM said, “At the place where we are gathered today, just a few kilometres away from here, stands a pillar that is nearly two-and-a-half thousand years old. Inscribed on this pillar in the Prakrit language are the words: ‘Hevam loksa hitmukhe ti, atha iyam natisu hevam’. Meaning, the welfare and happiness of humanity should always be ensured. Two-and-a-half thousand years ago, the land of India gave this message to the entire world. Let us begin this G20 Summit by remembering this message.”
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Past elections have shown that the BJP, and the Prime Minister, stand to benefit electorally if the conversation, positive or otherwise, revolves around them. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the BJP made sure that the election began and ended with a focus on Narendra Modi. Be it the Rafale allegations, EWS reservations or the Modi vs Rahul debate, the Prime Minister was always at the Centre of it.
The current indicators suggest the G20 Summit has given the BJP an opportunity to shift gears heading into the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held next year. As the BJP goes about town with a massive poll outreach campaign, highlighting its achievements under PM Modi’s leadership, the country’s G20 triumph is going to feature at the top of its list.
The outcome of the summit and its key takeaways will be aggressively publicised as part of the BJP’s outreach ahead of the Assembly elections in five states as well as the general elections next year, some media reports said. The BJP firmly believes that getting world leaders to agree on contentious issues like the Russia-Ukraine war shows that Modi’s leadership has been globally accepted.
The first hint of this new narrative came as BJP president JP Nadda heaped praise on the Prime Minister for the success of the G20 Summit.
“The adoption of the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration at the (G20) summit has been particularly pathbreaking as it brought major world powers to a consensus on pertinent issues of geopolitics and climate. Our G20 success is a watershed in India’s diplomacy and has ushered in a sense of pride in the hearts of every Indian. It is also a testament to the timeless quality of our cultural values, which teach us that we are indeed One Earth, One Family, with One Future,” Nadda tweeted an X, adding that under PM Modi’s leadership, India has emerged as a voice for the Global South and has shown that even in times of major geopolitical divide, nations can cooperate for a better future for the planet and its people.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also congratulated the Prime Minister on the successful conclusion of the summit. “The historic G20 Summit in New Delhi has successfully concluded. India’s Presidency under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi has left an indelible mark on the world stage,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.
“PM Shri Narendra Modi has successfully demonstrated Bharat’s prowess as both a ‘Vishwa Guru’ and ‘Vishwa Bandhu’. His inclusive and people-centric approach has truly defined Bharat’s G20 Presidency. I congratulate PM Modi for his exemplary leadership and vision,” he added.
Incidentally, the G20 Summit precedes a special session of Parliament which was called by the government just as the momentum for the summit had begun to build up. The agenda for the session, which has been kept under wraps, has become a huge talking point in political circles, aiding the BJP further in shifting the discourse from its domestic failures in Manipur as well as the Adani issue which the united Opposition had cornered the government on.
Instead, the focus has now shifted to speculations around the government’s intent to introduce “One Nation One Election”, renaming the country from India to Bharat, and even calling early Lok Sabha elections. There is also some talk of giving full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, paving the way for the nationwide implementation of a Uniform Civil Code.
According to The Indian Express There is also anticipation within a section of the BJP expecting a “big-ticket” move that could potentially impact the Lok Sabha elections. The leaders have not ruled out the possibility of Women’s Reservation and other similar decisions while claiming to be in the dark about the agenda of the special session.