From Abuse To Advantage: How BJP Plans To Turn Attack On PM's Mother Into Bihar Ballot Box Surge

Last Updated:September 04, 2025, 08:00 IST

The BJP has consistently demonstrated an ability to transform personal attacks on PM Modi into rallying points for its voter base

The party has prepared campaign material, which also includes its digital social media production showing how the INDIA bloc chose to abuse the PM. (File pic: YouTube/ Narendra Modi)

In the country’s political theatre, personal attacks, especially during an election, often carry unintended consequences. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now appears determined to ensure that the latest episode of an insult directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother at a political rally in Bihar becomes a defining theme of its election campaign. 

The party has prepared campaign material, which also includes its digital social media production showing how the INDIA bloc chose to abuse the PM.

BJP’s Emotional Pivot in Bihar Battle

Senior leaders of the party make no secret of the strategy. “There has been a pattern," a senior BJP leader said. “Every time personal attacks are made on PM Modi, the public responds, if not immediately, then on the polling day. The voter’s reaction comes in silence, in the secrecy of the ballot," he added. 

Another BJP leader, who is based out of Patna, said that the party has lined up protest programmes and rallies, local meetings, and multiple campaign materials portraying how the opposition hurls abuse at the “mothers" of this country, adding, “If the PM’s late mother is being abused in public rallies, then who can stay safe here with such politicians around?" 

For the party, the framing is clear. The abuse is not merely against Narendra Modi the individual but against the institution of motherhood itself, a deeply resonant cultural value in Indian society. BJP leaders feel that such remarks sharpen the image of Modi as a man of humble beginnings, who not only rose against the odds but also continues to face hostility that extends beyond the political arena into his personal life.

The ‘Chowkidar’ Model

The precedent is also instructive. In 2019, the opposition’s slogan “chowkidar chor hai", aimed at denting PM Modi’s credibility, was turned into a counter-campaign. Narendra Modi fiercely reclaimed the word “chowkidar" as a symbol of pride, with supporters across the country adding “chowkidar" to their names on social media. What was meant as a taunt ended up consolidating the BJP’s base and expanding PM Modi’s identification with his political base, colleagues, and ordinary Indians.

A senior election strategist in the BJP suggested a similar template will apply this time. By repeatedly invoking the abuse aimed at PM Modi’s mother, the BJP seeks to frame the campaign around respect, family values, and cultural ethos while juxtaposing humility and rootedness on one side against arrogance and elitism on the other. The issue is expected to be highlighted in speeches across states, becoming an emotional trigger that goes beyond policy debates.

The opposition, meanwhile, faces a challenge. Ignoring the remark risks appearing dismissive, while countering it may further amplify the BJP’s framing. The “chowkidar" episode remains a cautionary tale; what was conceived as a damaging slogan for PM Modi’s image ended up strengthening his campaign narrative. Party insiders said that a repeat of such missteps could prove costly in a high-stakes election in Bihar. 

At its political core, this is about narrative control. The BJP has consistently demonstrated an ability to transform personal attacks on PM Modi into rallying points for its voter base. By elevating the insult to his mother into a central campaign motif, the party now hopes to consolidate support, galvanise undecided voters, and once again cast PM Modi not just as a political leader but as a symbol of resilience and cultural values.

As the campaign picks up pace, the message is likely to be hammered home: every insult against PM Modi’s mother is an insult against the dignity of motherhood and, by extension, the dignity of ordinary Indians. If history is any guide, as the “chowkidar" episode showed, insults can sometimes become the BJP’s strongest campaign slogans.

News politics From Abuse To Advantage: How BJP Plans To Turn Attack On PM's Mother Into Bihar Ballot Box Surge

Read More