HEADING SOUTH FOR THE SUMMER

THE HOTTEST BATTLE THIS ELECTION SEASON IS IN THE SOUTH. WHILE THE BJP WANTS TO EXPAND AND PROVE ITS PAN-INDIA APPEAL, THE CONGRESS AND REGIONAL PARTIES WANT TO HOLD ON TO THEIR TERRITORIES AND THEIR IDEA OF INDIA

- PRATUL SHARMA, SONI MISHRA, LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN, PRATHIMA NANDAKUMAR, RAHUL DEVULAPALLI AND NIRMAL JOVIAL

With under a week remaining for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the BJP’s manifesto at the party’s central office extension, a sleek new building opposite the multi-storey headquarters on Delhi’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg.

The Sankalp Patra moved beyond traditional ideological promises to embrace new objectives like infrastructure development and enhanced service delivery. There were cultural promises, too, including plans to establish centres across the world in the name of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, promote the classical Tamil language, and organise Ramayan festivals globally. Notably absent was any mention of the controversial national register of citizens, though the party reiterated its commitment to implementing a uniform civil code and ‘one nation, one poll’.

Unlike the previous two Lok Sabha elections, where the focus was on north India, the hottest battle this season is in the south. Both the BJP and the Congress want to win more than 50 of the 130 seats from the region. It is an ideological battle. While the BJP accuses the Congress and its allies of insulting religious and cultural symbols, the opposition says it wants to save the Constitution and accuses the Centre of misusing investigating agencies.

To counter this, the BJP chose Ambedkar’s birth anniversary to release its manifesto. “Prime Minister Modi has given a commitment that the Constitution is our sacred book and we will safeguard it,” said BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh.