DURING electioneering the popularity of political leaders is usually judged by the crowd they attract, opinion polls and media coverage. Their fate is, however, decided by voters on the day votes are cast.

A number of factors help form a voter’s opinion about a candidate or a political party. The revolution in the communication technology has made the Indian voter more informed about politics and various issues. Thus, irrespective of how aggressively politicians in electoral fray target each other, this does not imply that today’s voters can easily be taken for a ride by these political ploys.

Narendra Modi’s success is not going to be decided by his party, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) willingness to apologize for Muslims targeted in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. It is not going to be decided by voters agreeing to Modi’s claim about Uttar Pradesh (UP) being home to numerous riots during the past decade. Even Modi’s description of Bihar as a “terrorist haven” is not likely to affect the voters’ decision. Of late, during their campaigns in UP, Modi and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh traded accusations over communalism in their respective states — Gujarat and UP. The two have certainly succeeded in attracting substantial coverage. But this does not guarantee them success from UP in the Lok Sabha polls.

One is intrigued as to what message is Modi trying to convey by adding communal and terrorist tags to names of his rivals? What actually is Modi trying gain? Is he trying to convince media and people that his rivals are more communal and prone to using violence than he is? Sadly, in the process, Modi expects voters to take their political decisions by deliberating on communal background of politicians and parties in the fray. Usage of this political card naturally belittles the importance of secular values in India’s multi-religious society.

Without doubt, secularism and communalism are opposite ends of rhetoric as well as other political values put to use in the Indian electoral campaign. Constitutionally and as per political ethics, parties and politicians in the electoral race are expected to highlight their respective secular values. Modi is trying to display his own “secular” credentials by indulging in exposing his rivals’ communal backgrounds. Of course, Modi is not the only politician using such tactics but there is a huge difference in the impact of such tactics on the voters.

For example, Arvind Kejriwal’s anti-graft statements can influence voters. But the same cannot be said about Modi’s attempt to expose his rivals’ “communal” inclinations. In all fairness to Modi, he can influence voters by overstating his “achievements” in Gujarat in terms of development but playing the communal card is not his cup of tea.

The explanation is simple: Indian voters are aware of the anti-Muslim communal violence that raged in Gujarat for several months, when Modi was the state chief minister.

Certainly, Modi has the right to claim that he was not responsible for the carnage. Legally and politically, Modi can convince himself and some of his supporters that he should not be held responsible for the Gujarat tragedy. The political legitimacy of Modi’s stand, however, is confined to his own narrow circle, which does not include all his party members. The last point is supported by the BJP expressing willingness to apologize for the 2002 carnage. The underlying message is that the BJP has accepted that irrespective of what Modi claims, the people still hold him and his party responsible for Gujarat killings. The BJP understands that to win polls it has no other option but to bow down before voters’ mood. Voters’ secular agenda has apparently prompted the BJP to try apologizing for communal card used aggressively during the Gujarat carnage. Modi has not yet understood fully that Indian voters cannot be misguided by his claims.

In his attempt to thrash at his rivals’ communal background, Modi has invited voters’ criticism of his own secular agenda. Nowadays, political questions are also being raised on the development of Gujarat with Modi as the chief minister.