JAY JOSHI
A few days ago, the BJP made its agenda and intentions clear for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls of 2019 by unveiling the slogan of its campaign: Ajeya Bharat, Atal BJP (Invincible India, firm BJP) Finding opportunity at every imaginable turn of events is how politics works, and slogans given at various elections show what path national politics will take. Such slogans also work to attract voters to the party. In the light of impending polls, TG Life takes a look at some of the most memorable political slogans in India.
Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan (hail the soldier, hail the farmer): This is perhaps the first political slogan of independent India. It was coined by India;’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965 at a public rally at Ramleela Maidan in Delhi. It was given on the backdrop of Indo-Pak war of 1965 and food scarcity that plagued the nation at the time. The slogan played its part well and Congress retained tpower in 1967 elections. The phrase became a part of the popular culture, so much so that Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee remembered it after completion of Pokhran nuclear tests, and modified it to Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan (hail the soldier, hail the farmer, hail science)
Abki Bar Modi Sarkar (This time it’s Modi goverment): Combined with the anti-incumbency factor against the UPA government, the NDA’s new slogan which promoted Narendra Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate became hugely polular. Along with this main slogan, the BJP had a side-gig that promised ‘Achhe Din ‘ i.e. good days for the common man (learning from its previous India Shining failure). The Congress replied with Kattar Soch Nahin, Yuva Josh (not fanatic ideology, but young spirit instead) projecting Rahul Gandhi as a young leader, but that experiment failed.
India Shining: In 2004, BJP sought to bank on its government’s performance, arguing that the BJP-led government’s efforts had brought great benefits to the country, but the phrase failed to catch on and the BJP was defeated in the 2004 elections. The slogan somehow led people to perceive that the BJP was the party of the rich and the urbane and had no connect with the common people in rural areas
Bari Bari Sabki Bari, Abki Bari Atal Bihari (Everyone gets a chance, this time it’s Atal Bihari): The 1996 slogan of BJP catapulted the party to power, but unfortunately, his government lasted only for 13 days. After that, the BJP returned with the slogan Jancha, Parkha, Khara (tried, tested, and genuine) which sought to cash in on Vajpayee’s clean image. That said, the former slogan was so popular, one could find its echo in BJP’s 2014 election slogan.
Congress Ka Hath, Aam Admi Ke Sath (hand of Congress is with common man): This was the Congress’ reply to BJP’s India shining. This slogan was successful in attracting the common man to the Congress party, bringing it back to power. The Congress has always sought to portray itself as the party of the poor while BJP has held right-wing ideology to be its core value. In 2009, Congress tried to popularise Sonia Gandhi with the slogan Sonia Nahi Yeh Aandhi Hai, Doosri Indira Gandhi Hai (This is not Sonia, it’s a storm; she is second Indira Gandhi) but the slogan largely failed even though Congress retaineed power.
Garibi Hatao, Desh Bachao (abolish poverty, save the country): This was Indira Gandhi’s slogan during the 1971 elections. It did win the elections for the party at that time, but has come to kind of haunt Congress ever since -because despite the catchy war-cry against it, poverty remained. Further on, the court declared Indira’s election victory to be invalid, prompting the onset of emergency. Later, the opposition groups united as Janata Party coined the slogan Indira Hatao, Desh Bachao, and austed Indira Gandhi from power.
