The schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha election was announced by the Election Commission on Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a third term in office, declaring that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by him was fully prepared for the election. He framed the polls as a contest between the NDA that ushered in “a glorious turnaround” and an Opposition that was “rudderless and issueless”.
Minutes after the election schedule was announced, Mr. Modi in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), described his tenure of the last decade as being “about filling gaps created by those who ruled for 70 years”. “It was also about instilling a spirit of self-confidence that yes, India can become prosperous and self-reliant. We will build on this spirit,” he said.
Mr. Modi claimed that 10 years ago, before the BJP came to power at the Centre, the people of India were feeling betrayed and disillusioned “thanks to INDI Alliance’s pathetic governance”. “No sector was left untouched from scams and policy paralysis and the world had given up on India. From there, it has been a glorious turnaround,” he said. In a swipe at the Opposition, he called it “rudderless and issueless”.
