Can The Modi-Shah Duo Arrest The Slide Before The Reckoning In 2019?

For the first time after 2014, their invincible aura seems to be diminishing. Can the Modi-Shah duo arrest the slide before the reckoning in 2019?

- Uday Mahurkar

Self-belief, no doubt, is a desirable trait for politicians. It is what propelled Narendra Modi to power and prime ministership in 2014 and made his partnership with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah a winning combination. But when that very self-belief starts looking like arrogance, it could signal the beginning of the fall.

As the BJP’s defeats in the assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states five months before the 2019 general election could well signify. Yes, the party did well given the anti-incumbency in Madhya Pradesh and the perceived strong anti-government sentiment in Rajasthan, but the rout in Chhattisgarh was complete even though Raman Singh had given the state its first stable government since it was formed in the year 2000.

And it is not only the Opposition that has tasted blood with the recent wins. The rumblings have begun within the BJP itself, with many wondering, if not openly articulating, where a continuation of the present style of functioning will leave the party five months from now.