The inauguration of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple on January 22 and then the event of BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi will set the stage for the 2024 election, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said predicting that the election dates will be called very soon thereafter. The message is clear for 2024 that Narendra Modi is a Hindu Hriday Samrat, Tharoor said asking what happened to achhe din. The Ram Temple inauguration on January 22 has already become a political flashpoint with the opposition being a divided house over whether to attend the event or not. PM Modi has accepted an invitation to inaugurate BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi — which will be the largest Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates.

“In 2019, with that narrative collapsing in the wake of the disastrous demonetisation, the Pulwama terrorist attack gave Mr Modi the opportunity to convert the general election into a national security election. In 2024, it is clear the BJP will now revert to its core message and offer Narendra Modi to the nation as a Hindu Hriday Samrat,” Tharoor said.

The 2024 election is shaping up to be Hindutva versus popular welfare, the Congress MP said. “All of this begs the question: what happened to achhe din? What happened to 2 crore jobs a year? What happened to economic growth that would benefit the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder? What happened to putting disposable income into the pockets and bank accounts of every Indian?” Tharoor said.