PM Modi and the BJP know that the crucial state elections this year will set the momentum for the big battle in 2024. Meanwhile, other niggles have to be ironed out, including internal factional feuds and losses from ex-allies

PM Narendra Modi with BJP president J.P. Nadda at a party meet; (Photo: Chandradeep Kumar)

The events of the past few weeks have been a testing time for the country’s ruling party, what with the crony capitalism charges against the Adanis and a damning BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. But, as always, the fightback has been led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, starting off with his speeches in both houses of Parliament during the motion of thanks to the President’s address. Political analysts have focused on one line from it—“Desh dekh raha hai, ek akela kitnon pe bhari padh raha hai (The country is watching how one man alone has taken on so many)”—to get a sense of the course the PM’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is likely to take in the run-up to the 2024 general election. The vaunted BJP poll machine is a feat in itself, but they believe it’ll finally boil down to how well the party can sell the ‘Modi vs the Others’ narrative if it is to get a third consecutive term in power.