Passions and prejudice over clear judgement
Indians are certainly not the only electorate who choose their leader on the basis of feelings rather than reason. This is simply part of being human. Perhaps the ideal democracy has never existed – can never exist – because it relies on voters leaving aside their most deeply rooted feelings and making a decision based on rational objectivity. And all of us – Indians, Americans, British, Japanese, Nigerians, Brazilians – are messy, complex and emotional beings.
Our choices are fuelled by a strong brew of anger and hope, by our sense of identity and by the desire for personal over collective benefit. It isn’t just India. Throughout Europe, Nationalist parties have risen to power over recent years as people feel the pressure of economic hardship and look for easy explanations and and something to blame. In the UK, the Brexit campaign succeeded on the back of its slogan promising to “Take Back Control”. People who felt disenfranchised and angry with the political class were offered a scapegoat for their feelings in the form of the European Union, and a way to express them in the form of a referendum. We all want simple answers, and strong leadership.
Narendra Modi embodies the idea of the strong leader, and carefully crafts his image as the defender of the nation. In a time of uncertainty, powerful rhetoric goes a long way. So do the feelings of Hindu nationalism he stirs up, creating a strong sense of identity and an “other” in the form of the Muslim minority.
Perhaps most crucially of all, the government currently exercises an unprecedented level of control over the national media. They are also adept at using online social media for campaigning, while the Congress party has failed to keep up with new channels to reach voters. Modi’s visibility – in the papers, on television, online – makes him seem the stronger candidate.