India: Modi and the rise of the billionaire Raj

How is it possible for the BJP and Modi to be so popular? First, because of the bulk of the BJP’s political support comes from the rural and more backward areas of this huge country who have not benefited from the strident rise of Indian capitalism in the cities.

Untrue and blatantly so. BJP was more popular in urban areas, and its urban base has grown.

Of late though, support for BJP has also grown in rural areas, but that does not take away the fact that BJP has always been the party of urban, educated, middle class of India.

The second reason is the total failure over the decades of the main capitalist party and standard bearer of Indian independence, the Congress party, to deliver better living standards and conditions for the hundreds of millions, not only in the country but in the city slums. Congress appears to millions as the party of the establishment controlled by a family dynasty (the Gandhis), while the BJP appears to many as the populist party of the forgotten people.

A Short history lesson
The original congress party was divided into two in the times of Indra Gandhi. The seniors of the party had expelled Indra Gandhi and she formed an entirely new party called Congress (I), while the original party continued, but with diminishing base. This original parry ultimately merged into Janta Dal, while Congress (I) became today's Indian National Congress (INC).

Janta Dal, containing the original Congress party, also diminished with time and under leadership of Subramaniam Swamy it has recently merged with BJP.

So, BJP of today contains the non-dynasty part of the original Congress, and has full right to claim all leaders before Indra Gandhi as its legacy, including Gandhi and Nehru, Indra's father.

Problems of INC/dynasty congress

Problem with the dynasty Congress is not just non-fulfillment of promises made to the urban poor, but also that the dynasty has utterly failed to rein in corruption which has become associated with the party's rule.

Besides, the dynasty is losing its rural base to BJP and minority support to, well, almost every other party. That the dynasty party has failed to create strong image of any dynasty member even half as strong as Modi's image is not going to help them either.