BJP president Amit Shah addresses a public rally “Vijaya Sankalp Sabha” in Morada, on his Odisha visit to attend an election campaign in support of party candidates, Saturday, 27 April 2019. (PTI Photo)The BJP is so convinced that the cocktail of muscular nationalism and maximum leader is more potent than bread-and-butter issues that it appears willing to contradict its own voices to amplify the testosterone-driven message. “Development is the sole agenda for this election,” he said in the Valley. At the same time, Modi has been seeking to turn it into a presidential-style election, making other BJP candidates redundant by telling voters that once they press the lotus button, the vote will go directly to him. The BJP says that ground reports, including those from Bengal, suggest that many voters feel only Modi can give “a fitting reply” to Pakistan.

Source: The Telegraph April 30, 2019 00:56 UTC