In the aftermath of the NDA victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a typically bombastic speech. “The river Ganga flows to Bengal via Bihar. And the victory in Bihar, like the river, has paved the way for our victory in Bengal,” he boasted.
This comparison of geography and electoral politics reveals Modi’s view of elections. He believes poll victories are “conquests” over territories, imperial dominance over geographical regions, an arrogant capture of dominions which are then added to the BJP’s empire of land grabs. Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah see electioneering as an Ashwamedh yagna, the uncontrolled charge of a majestic victorious horse, galloping from area to area.
