With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, there is a sense of anxiety and excitement in the air, with the ruling party hoping to score an even bigger victory this time round and the Opposition positive of bringing about a change in the course of recent history.
However, as citizens wait with bated breath to cast their votes in various phases from April 19 to June 1, the political temperature in the country is rising by the minute.
Against this backdrop, in a recent interview with journalist Deepak Sharma, Nirmala Sitharaman's husband and economist Dr Parakala Prabhakar has made claims that place a question mark on the prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Not only did Dr Prabhakar rubbish the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing a third term, he also claimed that the BJP will not be able to bag more than 230 seats. This comes at a time when the saffron party has set for itself a goal of 370 seats and a target of 400 for the NDA alliance.
Here are the top ten claims made by the Nirmala Sitharaman's husband in an interview that Sharma calls 'explosive'.
On being asked if 400 plus is a feasible number, Dr Prabhakar called these numbers a 'jumla' (trick) by the BJP, arguing that such statements make people discuss how many votes the BJP will get, rather than if they'll lose or win. He pointed out that the Electoral Bonds verdict is largely being discussed by the public and the moral ground of Modi's 'naa khaunga naa khane dunga' identity has collapsed.
Asserting that these elections encapsulate "Modi-BJP versus Indian citizens", Dr Prabhakar said that the BJP would find it "very difficult" to get even 220-230 seats, a far smaller target than the saffron party has set for itself. He went on to say that it was difficult for those in power [the BJP] to understand the situation on the ground and cited Telangana's case, saying that the party would not even get one-two seats, despite it being certain of securing 10-17 seats.
Commenting on the reasons behind the failure he is so certain of, Dr Prabhakar believes that the impact of unemployment, inflation and the unrest in Manipur and Ladakh must not be underestimated. He also claimed that people from the urban areas are moving back to rural areas due to which the money that was allotted for MGNREGA for an entire year got exhausted within six months. "Indian youth is ready to go to Gaza, Russia, Ukraine despite knowing that their is an ongoing war and they might die. That is how serious unemployment is," he explained.
Dr Prabhakar declared that Modi government is "not democratic at all". On being asked if Modi was on the verge of becoming a dictator, he said, "yes I think so." To elaborate, he asked if there was any other democracy where 145 MPs have been suspended, or if there is any other country where a state has been "burning" for around a year [referring to Manipur] without mainstream media coverage. Neither does the PM go to the state nor do we hear the voice of Manipuris, he added, saying that the power of states has also been snatched.
He also criticised the government for not talking to farmers for even ten minutes before passing three laws even though agriculture is biggest sector in the country. "The farmers are protesting even now and we are not hearing about it. This does not happen in a democratic society," he said.
If Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again, Dr Prabhakar announced that this would be last election of the country. The map of India and the Constitution will be completely changed. "What we hear about killing, sending people to Pakistan and things like this will then be heard from the Red Fort. It will no longer be a whispering campaign... What is happening in Manipur and Ladakh will happen in the entire country inevitably."
If Modi gets 230 votes, there is no chance the BJP will form the government with an alliance because no other party will support Modi, Dr Prabhakar predicted.
Commenting on income inequality of India, Dr Prabhakar said the rise of Adani and forming of the Modi government have been parallel.
In case the Modi government secures victory in the 2024 elections, echoing their "agenda" of one country one election, one country one language, one country one religion and "everything one", we will be left with "one country one leader and one country one party."
One being asked if Rahul Gandhi's accusation of 'Hum do hamare do (Modi, Shah, Adani and Ambani)' running the country was true, he said that it was very clear. The Modi government is giving the citizens two cylinders and five kilos grains but to your friend, you are giving six airports and four ports, he said.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and results will be announced on June 4. The other six phases will be on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be held on April 19 and in Andhra Pradesh on May 13.