Under Amit Shah, an unapologetic BJP aggressively pursues a saffron dream.
A glimpse of the ticking chess brain that is Amit Shah— one that plots out all possible moves, three moves ahead—comes through with stray anecdotes about the otherwise inscrutable man. When the Opposition announced Meira Kumar’s name to fight NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the Presidential elections, Amit Shah smiled. “If I was in their place, I’d have fielded an OBC candidate. It would have at least ensured an interesting contest,” he is reported to have told his aides.
Before the final decision, Shah had mapped out the whole chessboard, all the viable strategies the Opposition could adopt, even thought of an effective counter-move for them! What they came up with—yet another predictable response, countering a Dalit with a Dalit, albeit a woman—did not pass muster in his reckoning. On the other side, the Congress was spearheading the Opposition efforts, but had to wait for Rahul Gandhi to return from his Roman holiday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were already reaching out to everyone to try and secure a winning margin for Kovind.
The episode captures the default state of India’s political arena today—the Opposition in a shambles, fumbling for the right path, pitted against the consummate strategic skills of the BJP president from Gujarat. This aspect of positivity has bled back into the party. As Shah completes three eventful years at the helm—just a few months behind the government—a new BJP has taken wings under him too. A cohesive political machine that is confident, and unapologetic about aggressively pursuing its ambition of colouring the entire country saffron.
This story is from the July 17, 2017 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 17, 2017 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Propaganda Files
A recent spate of Hindi films distorts facts and creates imaginary villains. Century-old propaganda cinema has always relied on this tactic
Will Hindutva Survive After 2024?
The idealogy of Hindutva faces a challenge in staying relevant
A Terrific Tragicomedy
Paul Murray's The Bee Sting is a tender and extravagant sketch of apocalypse
Trapped in a Template
In the upcoming election, more than the Congress, the future of the Gandhi family is at stake
IDEOLOGY
Public opinion will never be devoid of ideology: but we shall destroy ourselves without philosophical courage
The Many Kerala Stories
How Kerala responded to the propaganda film The Kerala Story
Movies and a Mirage
Previously portrayed as a peaceful paradise, post-1990s Kashmir in Bollywood has become politicised
Lights, Cinema, Politics
FOR eight months before the 1983 state elections in undivided Andhra Pradesh, a modified green Chevrolet van would travel non-stop, except for the occasional pit stops and food breaks, across the state.
Cut, Copy, Paste
Representation of Muslim characters in Indian cinema has been limited—they are either terrorists or glorified individuals who have no substance other than fixed ideas of patriotism
The Spectre of Eisenstein
Cinema’s real potency to harness the power of enchantment might want to militate against its use as a servile, conformist propaganda vehicle