What is India's Modi vote share and meet the 'human deepfakes' of this election

Hello and welcome to Dance of Democracy Season 24. On the show, we tell you just how many votes PM Modi alone brings to the BJP. But first, let’s talk about the Shen Shah of the Hindi film industry, Amitabh Bachchan, who turned out to be a giant Slayer in his electoral debut. Just as he drew the audience to the theatres, Amitabh Bachchan drew in crowds wherever he went. Even as a debutante politician, he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1984. That came in the backdrop of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Rajiv Gandhi was a good friend and it was on his suggestion that Big B decided to make his debut as Anita. It didn’t matter that he was pitted against the formidable Hemati Nandan Bahuguna Bharatiya Lok Dals veteran leader and former UP chief minister. In the battle of political grit versus celluloid, Bachchan was head and shoulders above his rival, winning by a sweeping majority. His victory margin set a record in Indias Lok Sabha elections. 6 crore 8,00,00,000 or 10,00,00,000. Is there a way to put in numbers just how many votes PM Modi single handedly brings in for the BJP? Adal Thakur does some number crunching for this story. This was an election rally in 2014. Ten years on, Prime Minister Modi continues to draw in the crowds. But just how much impact does the Prime Minister have on drawing voters to the BJP? And is there a way to put it in numbers? When the UPA won a second term in 2009, BJP got a total of 7.8 crore votes. When Narendra Modi was announced as the BJP’s prime ministerial face in 2014, the party’s votes soared to a total of 17.2 crore 120% jump. It only got better in 2019. Narendra Modi second term with 22.9 crore votes in favour of BJP. A CSDS survey done in 2019 after the polls saw 24.7% respondents saying they would not have voted for the BJP if Narendra Modi wasn’t the PM face. Here’s how the votes translated into seats for the BJP. Before Narendra Modi entered national politics, BJP had won 116 Lok Sabha seats in 2009. In 2014, BJP won more than double its 2009 tally, picking 282 on its own strength, helping the saffron party win a clear majority. In 2019, BJP’s tally crossed 300. Ty also analyzed the Modi wave of 2014 by looking at 127 seats where BJP’s vote share went up by more than 20%. In 2009, the BJP had won only five of these 127 seats. In 2014, the BJP swept 104 of the same seats. There’s no doubt that PM Modi is BJP’s most popular face. So we thought why not ask BJP supporters to name 5 BJP leaders besides the Prime Minister? Some answers may surprise you. I know Yogi Yogi Maharashtra, he’s the development person and visionary man. Second number I think Amit Shah Ji or Hemant Biswas Sharma Ji. From trying to name BJP leaders other than Modi, let’s move to those who are not Modi but celebs nonetheless. Take a closer look at this video that is not PM Modi but Maharashtra businessman Vikas Mahante who could easily pass off his him. As it turns out, luck played a major part in this defining role of his life when he decided to grow his beard. And he is not the only one. Meet Jagdish Rai Bhatia, who used to run a paying guest accommodation in Malvinagar but is now mobbed for selfies everywhere he goes. Both logos, if they are military respect militia, can be let down for something of reference. In fact, some have been so taken in by the resemblance that they have gone to Jagdish Bhatia complaining about their local MPs and MLAs, hoping that Modiji will come to the rescue. In a world that pays premium to being one’s authentic true self, people like Jagdish Bhatia and Vikas Mahanti have found fame, recognition and even wealth as look alikes. Ruma Chakrabarti’s role as Didi in Mamta Banerjee’s biopic has worked for her. Even off screen, things sometimes got a bit too real. When someone asked her for a sarkari house, it took her some time to convince them that she was not the real deal. And now for a quick political quiz. Which state in India manufacturers the indelible ink, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan or Karnataka? On this show, we will be showcasing some of RK Lakshman’s brilliant cartoons on India’s elections. So stay tuned. The election story of India is incomplete without the Times of India Every morning are 51 editions not only provide most extensive coverage of elections, but also discover an India that’s unseen, unknown.