EVEN while propaganda is an integral part of electoral politcs, falsehood has no takers, so to say. A few may get swayed by a continuous barrage of propaganda, all right. But if falsehood is heaped upon people’s mind all along, then its acceptance wanes faster than one can imagine. This is what has been happening with Opposition propaganda against Special Intensive Review (SIR) of Electoral Rolls undertaken by the Election Commission of India. When the SIR was being conducted in Bihar, the Opposition raised quite a noise against it -- only to be rebuffed even by the judiciary. Now, as the EC goes ahead with SIR in 12 States and Union Territories, the Opposition continues to call it a “con job” and blame the Election Commission as working under the pressure of the Government, the people in general realise the hollowness of the narrative.

 

The people realise that the Opposition is pushing a losing narrative -- which has happened in most elections in the past 10-11 years, despite which the Opposition is refusing to learn right lessons and correct its approach to national politics. With Bihar going to poll in the first phase of legislative elections, the Opposition’s falsehood now stands to get exposed once again -- no matter the final outcome. The allegation that the Government was abusing its authority and manipulating electoral rolls now does not carry much weight with the public. The Opposition’s personal attacks on Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi during the election campaign also are failing to make any critical impact on the voters’ minds. Some voters -- in small percentages -- do get influenced by such falsehood, all right. Yet, the vast majority realises that the Opposition has not been left with any fresh points on its agenda against the Modi Government.

 

In the people’s minds, old and false and politically-driven narrative does not seem to carry any significance. Also, accusing Bihar’s Nitish Kumar Government of failure on all fronts does not seem to cut much ice with the people of the State. No matter what the electoral outcome would be, it is clear that over the past five years, the Nitish Kumar Government has raised its credibility quotient -- and the common voters realise that. The Opposition also realises that, but finds it political inconvenient to admit that the Nitish Kumar Government has done generally a good job. It has to fight election against the Government and therefore has to continue with whatever the narrative it has chosen to push. For the Indian democracy, it is unfortunate to have such an Opposition that has no clue how to build a credible narrative to push its case.

 

When the Opposition is bereft of ideas, it spreads muck. This universal experience is being witnessed in India as well for the past 10-11 years. Instead of raising repeatedly failed issues in an attempt to beat the Government has served no purpose of the Opposition so far. The Opposition leaders do not seem to understand that the people have rejected their narrative not once but repeatedly. Hence their dogged adherence to the same, old narrative seeking to establish Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi as a liar and his Government as failure. The worst of those efforts related to Voters’ Lists -- not just in Bihar but also in other States such as Karnataka ruled by the Congress party.

 

When Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi was making those seemingly smart presentations before public about how Voters’ Lists were being manipulated, he looked like a low-grade actor whose only merit was his well-rehearsed narrative (with a huge computer screen in the background -- for effect). But the people saw through that drama (nautanki) -- not just in Karnataka but also everywhere in the country. That has now got marked as the Opposition’s limit of intelligence. No matter all this rebuff, the Opposition is still wanting to insist that the SIR is a con job. Obviously, such stupidity has no alternative.