Is it justified for Prime Minister to spend so much of time in Karnataka campaign?

By NS Venkataraman*
It is known that there are pledged admirers and sworn critics of Mr. Modi not only in India but abroad also.
Leaving alone the admirers and critics there are many discerning observers who believe that Mr. Modi has brought around significant changes for better not only in industrial and economic profile of India during the last nine years but also in several other aspects in the personal and social life of country men. Apart from large infrastructure projects , industrial ventures , significant improvement in government transparency, digitalisation etc.
Mr. Modi stresses on clean India campaign, yoga culture etc. that have far reaching implications for the country.
Mr. Modi is known to work for very long hours everyday, chalking out plans for growth and reviewing the progress, even as he communicates with the people in different ways like Man Ki Baat ( Radio programme once in a month).
It is a fact that Mr. Modi’s time is very valuable and many people expect that his time and energy should be focused on taking India to greater heights. Some discerning observers have also expressed concern that Mr. Modi should spend so much of time in campaigning for his party in the state election in Karnataka and whether it is justified for a Prime Minister to do so. This appears to be a genuine concern without any political motive.
The issue today is that the leadership of the ruling party BJP is entirely focused on Mr. Modi and his stature appears to be far higher than anyone else in the party today. When people vote for BJP in the election , most of them have said that they have really voted for Mr. Modi.
Of course, most of the political parties in India have one or two leaders at the top ( almost all political parties in India apart from BJP are family controlled) and the political stature of no other party leader match anywhere near Mr. Modi’s level.
The question uppermost in the mind of everyone is why Mr. Modi is spending so much time in Karnataka election campaign. Is it because the performance of the incumbent BJP government in the state is not upto the mark and Mr. Modi wants to reassure the people of his party’s commitment.
In a democratic country, whatever may be the capability and commitment of the leader of the government, political power is vitally important. Any leader derives strength and command leadership from the people’s power bestowed on him. Perhaps, Mr. Modi , being clearly aware of the need for retaining the support of the people by winning election , does not want to face situation where his party would lose election in Karnataka. Unfortunately, there is nobody else in BJP who can match the charisma of Mr. Modi and enjoy the confidence of the people to the extent that Mr. Modi does.
Only explanation and justification for Mr. Modi spending so much of time and energy in campaigning for Karnataka election is that Mr. Modi thinks that it would be a calculated risk, if he would not launch himself fully in the campaign.
The net result is that the valuable time of Mr. Modi that should be spent on governance of the country, has been sacrificed for winning an election in one state.
---
*Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

The ultimate all-time ODI XI: A personal selection of icons across eras

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket: 1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

Search This Blog