 "Congress vs BJP on social media: Depending on news vs depending on Modi")
Social media has come to hold an important place in Indian politics now, with political parties, activists, leaders and individuals vying with each other to get attention and push their view on issues. Its outsized ability to influence voter behaviour in general, and the political narrative in particular, makes it a coveted field. It is, therefore, not surprising that leaders and political parties devote time and effort to try and influence opinion or narrative through social media.
Employment, an important issue in the 2014 elections, continues to resonate in 2018. The opposition parties have relentlessly attacked the Modi government for the lack of jobs in the country while the government and BJP have tried to argue that this is not the case.
GST was finally introduced in India on July 1, 2017, after having been in the works for nearly 17 years. Billed by the Modi government as the biggest tax reform in independent India’s history, the levy replaced 17 state and central taxes and helped create a common market across India. The roll out of the tax, promoted as ‘Good and Simple Tax’, became a problem for the economy, however, as businesses began dealing with its complexities. Through a rollercoaster first year under GST, the opposition continued to attack the Modi government over GST’s implementation.
Indian money parked in Swiss banks and other countries was a major issue in the 2014 elections. At one point Narendra Modi, who was the Gujarat CM then, even hinted that if all the black money parked abroad was brought back to India, it could provide Rs 1.5 million to each Indian. This was taken to be an electoral promise but later dismissed by BJP president, Amit Shah as a ‘chunavi jumla’. PM Modi had promised to be strict on the issue of black money and had even pitched demonetisation as an assault on black money and corruption in India. When news appeared last week about a 50 per cent rise in Indian money parked in Swiss banks, the opposition got an opportunity to attack PM Modi and his government for their failure to tackle the issue.