'Modi Ka Parivar' becomes BJP's new poll pitch; ministers and top leaders throw weight behind

'Modi Ka Parivar' seems to emerge as the new poll plank of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), months ahead of the Parliamentary elections 2024. This comes on back of Lalu Yadav's slanderous attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the latter giving a new political spin to it, rather than engaging in bitter exchange of barbs.

Giving a forceful counter to INDIA bloc and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's charges at RJD's public rally in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the whole country of 140 crore people is his family.

"My nation is my family. I share a warm relation with all 140 crore citizens in the country and they are my family," PM Modi said at a public rally in Telangana on Monday.

He said that when he castigates INDIA bloc parties for nurturing appeasement politics and promoting 'parivaarvad', they get personal and start smear campaign to sully his image.

PM Modi's 'Mera Desh, Mera Parivaar' pitch has found a strong connect not just among party workers but also top ministers and party brass, as all took to social media and updated their social media accounts with 'Modi Ka Parivar' title.

From Home Minister Amit Shah to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to BJP President JP Nadda, scores of top ministers and leaders updated their X bio with 'Modi Ka Parivar' title.

'Modi Ka Parivar' also became a top trend on X on Monday, with thousands of netizens commenting and extending support.

This all began with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's remarks on PM Modi at a recent RJD rally in Bihar, where he targeted the Prime Minister with 'fake Hindu' jibe.

PM Modi's counter to INDIA bloc on parivarvaad, appeasement politics and corruption comes as a redux to BJP's popular and highly successful poll campaign 'Main Bhi Chowkidaar', ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Raking up issues of alleged corruption in defence deals, Congress in 2019 had mounted a strong poll campaign 'Chowkidaar chor hai' to hit the image of PM Modi but the BJP poll machinery gave it a strategic turnaround and deflated Congress' campaign with counter poll slogan 'Main Bhi Chowkidaar'. All BJP ministers and leaders changed their then Twitter bio with 'Main Bhi Chowkidaar' title. While Congress failed to capitalise and gain political mileage, the BJP banking on PM Modi's clean governance struck the right chord with people, eventually sweeping the 2019 elections.

'Modi Ka Parivaar' slogan is also seen in this context and political analysts believe this is bound to give BJP, strategic advantage over rivals in the 2024 elections.

While Lalu Yadav, convicted in fodder cases, will find hard to back his claims, PM Modi's 'Mera Bharat, Mera Parivar' message will resonate strongly and also find acceptance among people, eventually benefitting it in elections.

The reason behind PM Modi's connect with the masses is 'practice what you preach' policy. PM Modi has time and again, showed his affinity and bonding with citizens, either in poll campaigns or during festivals like Diwali.

Political watchers opine that the Prime Minister giving credit to 140 crore population for country's every achievement, from Swachta Abhiyaan to India hosting G20 Summit, sends right message to the people. His political speeches starting with 'mere parivaarjano' to his call for participation of all citizens in inclusive growth of nation via 'Sabha Saath Sabka Vikas' resonates strongly with the people.

(With inputs from IANS)