"Campaign rhetoric that is patently incendiary is being read as the discourse of moderation. Actions that are menacingly communal are being interpreted as harmlessly secular. Silence is being taken as proof of innocence. As India enters its 2014 general election to constitute the 16th Lok Sabha, the spectacle of prominent commentators adjusting their views towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi unfolds before our eyes with escalating frequency and vivid clarity.
"Reading through the BJP manifesto released today, it seems clear that the delay in releasing it had much to do with what the party did not want to leave out, but would have preferred not to own up to for the moment..."
"Voters will have to make do with Narendra Modi's rally speeches to get an insight into the BJP's promises and vision for the country. Its manifesto is still not ready for release as senior party leaders are demanding last minute changes on some contentious issues, including sections on foreign policy and economic vision..."
An electronic voting machine raised many eyebrows across the state during a mandatory mock poll in Jorhat on Tuesday. Every time a button was pressed, the vote went in favour of BJP.
The slogan 'Har Har Modi' has caused some controversy, symbolising the extent to which the campaign looks like a personality cult. Modi claims this slogan is the creation of over-enthusiastic supporters, but the evidence suggests it was prepared by his own strategists.
"An ever-growing online community of pro-Hindu, pro-BJP, pro-Narendra Modi, right-wing tweeters has taken over political discourse on the Internet... A mark of their overwhelming online supremacy can be found in the India Today Group's e-lection poll, a mock online General Election in which users were asked to vote in Lok Sabha constituencies across India. The ballot worked through one-time passwords sent to mobile phones, ensuring only one vote for every cell number to prevent rigging.
