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Following his off-colour performance in tackling the second wave of Covid-19, Prime Minister Modi’s chances of a third stint are fast fading.

By Khawaja Amer | July 2021

Andia’s COVID-19 pandemic gradually turned into a catastrophe that resulted in the worst crisis that India has ever faced. It has severely tarnished the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was banking on his PR managers. But with the passage of time, his marketing slogan ‘Shining India was fast fading out. The Indians were so fed up with his unnecessary PR that a number of columnists in their columns wrote that Modi should suspend his non-stop PR and spend all his time on what India really needs.

The situation finally went out of control when he refused to accept the fact that something bad has really happened which might not only create severe health issues but adversely affect the economy of the country. He did not take the pandemic seriously though it required prompt public acknowledgement and response, because he was confident that he had been able to control the pandemic. Unaware of the gravity of the situation, he allowed hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to gather for the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar and rushed to West Bengal along with the Home Minister and BJP president to personally supervise the election, ignoring the early warnings of the second wave which, as expected, proved disastrous.

His image as a mass leader received a severe dent and he came under sharp criticism. Sanjay Kumar, professor at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), very rightly said, “People are greatly disappointed. The common man is unable to understand this sudden change in attitude. When there is a need to take a lot of initiative, he is not at the forefront.”

As expected, his visit to Kolkata turned out to be an utter failure and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the key West Bengal Legislative Assembly election despite Modi being at the forefront of campaigning in the state and leading several rallies. This included the one in which he was seen without a mask. The landslide victory has put West Bengal’s third-time Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, often referred to as Didi, in a position to challenge the BJP in the 2024 parliamentary elections. With a clear vision and roadmap, she may find herself in a position to remove Modi from power in the next elections, because the COVID disaster has already dented his well-crafted image.


The overwhelming victory of Mamta Manerjee has raised the opposition’s hopes that Modi could be challenged across the country. “What Bengal does today, India does tomorrow,” columnist Shobhaa De wrote in The Print, paraphrasing a quotation by 19th century liberal Gopal Krishna Gokhale. “What happened in West Bengal is just the beginning.” Prashant Kishor, a political strategist for Banerjee, said: “The election result has given voice and hope to those who want to fight this danger called BJP.”

International leaders and the Indian Diaspora had been watching Modi’s mishandling of the COVID crisis with great concern. Even local Indian politicians could see that the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases was adversely affecting the economic progress made during the early years of Modi. Indian economists believe that Modi will not be able to retain power for a third term for the challenge ahead seems to be unachievable . India’s pandemic-stricken economy must be revived over the next two years by minimising the growing socioeconomic inequality in the country and reducing unemployment. But then they also argue that to dislodge Modi, there has to be a solid and united opposition strong enough to make their presence felt, which currently seems impossible, though ‘Didi’ has kindled hope.

For Modi, misfortune did not come alone. The recently passed Farmer’s Bill has turned out to be an Achilles heel for Indian Prime Minister. The controversial Bill termed as a ‘Death Warrant’, faced sharp criticism both at home and abroad. With severe pressure, now there is a strong campaign for Modi’s resignation. The time is indeed ripe for the secular forces to be united and defeat Hindutva as an political ideology once for all. “In terms of national politics, if the Indian opposition wants to fight Modi, it is high time Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gives up his space and brings in Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the ‘united opposition’ to take on the Prime Minister in 2024,” says analyst Vidyarthi Kumar.

It goes without saying that Mamata Banerjee’s historic victory despite Modi’s physical presence in Bengal has made her a potential threat for the BJP. As such, she has emerged as an obvious choice for a secular India. She has consolidated her position as a singular challenger to the powerful duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, according to a newspaper report, ‘Hashtag—#BengaliPrimeMinister, Mamata Banerjee’s picture is already doing the rounds in social media. With the general elections scheduled to be held in 2024, this seems a bit premature, but the time seems right.

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