With almost four years since PM Modi assumed charge, it has started to appear that all is not well in the country despite the rosy picture BJP is desperately trying to paint. The economic policies of Modi government are now being opposed even inside BJP and RSS, which sends out a red signal for the party in the coming elections.

A senior RSS volunteer of Agra told India Today that, at present the situation looks dicey and 2019 Lok Sabha elections could prove to be a challenge for Modi and he could face the consequences of his overconfidence just like Atal Bihari Vajpayee did for his 'India Shining' campaign.

It remains to be seen what strategy the senior BJP leaders are preparing to counter such a possibility. The party's national executive meet had been focused on the 2019 elections, with all BJP MPs and MLAs called to attend the meet. He said that the party high command now wants to send these MPs and MLAs among the people to assess the mood of voters and to promote Modi government's schemes among them.

A senior BJP leader told India Today that as ground level party functionaries, they have to face the ire of people every day over rising prices of petrol, diesel and gas, plummeting industrial production, fall in GDP and failure of demonetisation and GST in curbing corruption. He said that the biggest Modi supporters are now campaigning against Modi on the social media and as BJP leaders, they are unable to pacify them because even they don't know what to believe.

DISTANCED FROM GROUND REALITY

What PM Modi and FM Arun Jaitley are claiming about the rise of Indian economy post demonetisation, does not appear to be happening on the ground level. He said that PM and FM do not have to interact with the people so they can say whatever they want, but party workers need to support their argument with facts, and the fact is that the economy appears to have come to a standstill since demonetisation, with GST only adding to the woes of the industries.

According to the sources, the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Swadeshi Jagran Manch and 6 other organizations are planning to hold a massive rally against the economic policies of the Modi government at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on November 17, and BJP is trying desperately to get the rally cancelled by talking to the leaders of these organisations.

A BJP leader claimed that the RSS is also perturbed at the fast diminishing popularity of PM Modi and his government and a recent coordination committee meeting of RSS in Vrindavan had focused primarily on this issue. The Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh is also connected to the RSS and in its national executive meeting, the leaders of this organization have openly criticized the policies of Centre, especially the labour policies which are pro-industrialist and totally anti-labour. The rally at the Ramlila Grounds could be headed by senior RSS leader Dattatrey Hosbole.

Social activist Vishal Sharma said that the tri-state elections that are to be held soon, and they will be a major test for BJP before it goes into polls in 2019. Gujarat is considered to be the powerhouse for the current BJP leadership, with both the PM and BJP President Amit Shah, having emerged from Gujarat.

SURVEYS NOT IN FAVOUR OF BJP

If the BJP fails to show results in Gujarat, it will definitely hurt them badly in the 2019 elections. He said that both Modi and Shah are aware of the fact that surveys are not painting a very encouraging picture of the Gujarat elections for the saffron party this time and if they lose Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, there is a big chance that the country would see a fractured verdict in the coming 2019 elections.

He said that there was still plenty of time for BJP to improve upon the mess their economic policies have created. Instead of stimulus packages that will further drain the country's coffers, Centre should focus on regaining the trust of voters by changing the faulty policies, in order to compensate the losses the country incurred post demonetisation.

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