Comparisons have been drawn in national and international media between Narendra Modi and Berlusconi, Putin, Abe, and a long list of other right-wing demagogues. The need for such comparisons is understandable (especially in articles in the foreign media trying to explain the significance of the Indian elections to a non-Indian audience).
"The manifest ideology and the oral tradition communicated through speeches delivered by him and the word of mouth propaganda by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are more important than the manifesto. Mr. Modi might avoid the Hindutva language for which he is known, but through signals, expressions, and symbols he has kept intact his image as the mascot of the Hindu right... The BJP’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh unmistakably exposes the doublespeak... Mr. Modi talks about development but allows other leaders of his party and the Sangh to raise communal issues..."
What is the scale of bogus voting and electoral fraud? Some BJP voters are boasting on twitter about the number of times they have voted, while some non-BJP voters are finding their votes have already been cast.
"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.
