BJP, RSS worried about impact of Covid disaster on electoral prospects

Given that the virus has by now affected almost everybody in the company’s core voter base, the middle class, and is now spreading to rural areas in UP and Bihar, the BJP and RSS are worried about the perception that they are responsible for the unfolding disaster, sources have told Indian media.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi still has three years of his term to go, with the election scheduled for 2024, some states, including the critical one of UP, are set to hold polls next year.

Sources said that the only face-saving gesture that can work will include firing a few ministers and replacing them with other names. They also say that BJP’s rallies in West Bengal have worked against the party, negatively affecting perceptions about the ruling party’s priorities.

India is battling one of the most vicious waves of the coronavirus that the world has seen, with over 400,000 people testing positive daily while thousands die daily. Unofficial figures are estimating deaths and infections to be far more.

The Modi government has been criticized for not paying attention to the problem despite warnings from healthcare officials, going ahead with rallies even while the number of cases rose sharply, not arranging oxygen, as patients die on the streets and hospitals, are overwhelmed and allowing religious gatherings with mass attendance to go ahead.