Opposition’s hate-driven politics is fuelling BJP’s strength
India’s Opposition has trapped itself in a vortex of negativity — seeing only gloom where there is growth and crisis where there is progress. Instead of offering a constructive alternative or a credible model of development, it survives on rhetoric, Modi-bashing, and divisive slogans.
While projects like Google’s $15 billion investment or innovative rural models like Andhra’s Bull Power initiative show India’s resilience, the Opposition continues to deny reality. Its obsession with “vote chori” and “RSS phobia” reflects frustration, not leadership. Unless it abandons cynicism and embraces vision, the INDIA bloc will remain stuck in denial. In today’s India, negativity no longer wins elections — performance and positivity do.
“India’s economy is dead, RSS has taken over education; ‘vote chori’ is rampant; Modi hates Dalits; the Constitution is in danger; institutions are collapsing, development has stopped, and only two or three of Modi’s friends control the economy.”
This is the running script of Rahul Gandhi and the fragmented INDIA bloc. Their strategy seems simple — paint India black, spread despair, and hope that anger will bring them to power. But every election tells them otherwise.
It’s not that all is perfect. There are many issues that remain unresolved, and not everyone enjoys the fruits of development. Gaps remain to be filled. But the tragedy is that the Opposition refuses to introspect, change course, or offer a constructive alternative. Instead, it feeds on a diet of hate and denial — hatred for Modi and denial of India’s progress. Ironically, this very negativity helps the BJP consolidate further.
The Opposition formula is “Hate Modi, appease minorities, and grab power by hook or crook.” Criticism of the ruling party is a democratic right. But it should come with a sense of responsibility towards the nation. Why does the Opposition ignore positive developments like Google’s $15 billion investment in Andhra Pradesh — the company’s biggest FDI outside the U.S. — or projects worth over ₹13,000 crore taking shape across India? They prefer to see only gloom.
Some ignorant YSRCP leaders, including former ministers, who clearly lack even basic understanding of maths or economics are now criticising the TDP government by tossing around figures on power and water spending without context or comprehension. Shame on those who speak without grasping the fundamentals of investment or the economy.
This stems from one central flaw: they have no alternative vision of development. Their governance model seems to revolve around using temple funds, looking away when temple lands are encroached, and invoking “unity” merely as an anti-Modi alliance. Their hypocrisy is evident even in Bihar, where they could not agree on seat-sharing. Tejaswi Yadav filed his nomination without a single INDIA bloc leader — not even Rahul Gandhi — by his side.
They claim democracy is under threat, yet they flout democratic norms within their own parties. They refuse to acknowledge the IMF’s growth projection of 6.6 per cent for India, far ahead of the United States (two per cent), China (4.8 per cent), or the United Kingdom (1.3 per cent).
When confronted, they parrot the same tired lines: “RSS is divisive, RSS promotes Hindutva, RSS killed Gandhi.” Rahul Gandhi once asked if anyone had seen women at RSS shakas wearing shorts. He added, “as soon as a woman speaks out, they (RSS-BJP) silence her.”
For the benefit of the ignorant—or those pretending to be so—let me inform them that there exists a parallel organisation to the RSS, called the Rashtra Sevika Samiti. On October 25, 1936, Lakshmibai Kelkar, noticing her two sons regularly attending RSS shakhas, decided to see for herself what they were doing. Impressed by the discipline and spirit that she witnessed, she met Dr Keshav Baliram Hegdewar and suggested that women, who constitute half the population, should also be part of such nation-building activities.
Dr Hegdewar agreed but advised that the women’s organisation should remain independent—like a separate school for boys and girls.
Lakshmibai Kelkar then founded the women’s wing that was based on three core principles —Matrutva (universal motherhood), Kartrutva (efficiency and social activism) and Netrutva (leadership). Though smaller in number than the RSS, the Sevikas include homemakers, professors, doctors, and postgraduates in fields like criminology and political science. Just as some RSS men joined the BJP, many Sevikas too became active in the party. It has a presence in 22 countries and has almost four lakh members.
The problem with the Opposition is not lack of energy but misplaced focus. They believe in power play, not the power of ideas. For them, rhetoric matters more than results. They do not realise that if they present a credible roadmap for development — showing how they can improve lives faster and better — people might actually listen. Instead, they cry “democracy in danger” while enjoying all the freedoms democracy provides.
Why can’t they see India’s growth story as a glass half full instead of half empty? Why this chronic cynicism? If they acknowledge achievements first and then outline what more must be done, they can actually enhance India’s global brand — and their own credibility.
As one analyst quipped, “India’s economy isn’t dead — it’s the brain cells of those who oppose it that are.”
The start-up boom, tech innovation, and renewable energy progress are visible everywhere. But the Opposition refuses to see them. Take, for example, the latest experiment in Bull Power — an initiative that blends tradition with modern sustainability.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Chinta Sasidhar Foundation has launched a pioneering project that uses bull-driven treadmills to generate electricity. Located at Nanda Gokulam Centre, Nellore, the initiative demonstrates how innovation and inclusion can coexist with culture and compassion.
Here’s how it works: a single bull working for four hours produces about 4 kW of electricity, enough to power several rural homes or small farms. The project prioritizes animal welfare — with hydraulic lifts, veterinary supervision, and nutritious feed. It also revives indigenous breeds, especially the iconic Ongole bull, under its “Save the Bull” campaign.
The “Power of Bull” initiative is not merely about energy; it’s about reviving values, empowering rural communities, and combining traditional wisdom with modern technology. It’s a perfect example of how India can chart its own model of sustainable development — rooted in culture, yet forward-looking.
If governments, corporates, and nonprofit organisations across the country replicate such models, they can generate rural employment, reduce migration, and build sustainable communities. This is the kind of innovation the Opposition should celebrate and scale up. But it won’t. It will mock such efforts, dismiss them as “gimmicks,” and continue to indulge in dynastic arrogance — clinging to the belief that they are “born to rule.”
They must realise that India has changed. The voter is no more swayed by outdated rhetoric or blind hatred. People want performance, not posturing. They want roads, jobs, innovation, and pride — not perpetual protests and empty slogans.
If Rahul Gandhi and his bloc truly want to reclaim relevance, they must abandon this self-destructive narrative of despair. They must replace negativity with constructive competition — tell people how they can govern better, not merely how Modi governs. Until then, their politics will remain a chorus of complaints, their vision blurred by bitterness.
India today needs an Opposition that builds, not one that breaks; that debates, not denounces. Until they learn this basic principle of democratic maturity, every new election will only reinforce the same verdict: Negativity doesn’t win votes — vision does.
(The author is former Chief Editor of The Hans India)
