Heated campaigns are on for the latest round of Assembly elections. And a catchy slogan is a must for any campaign. India has always had a special relation with slogans. The iconic slogan “Quit India” united the people and gave the fight for Independence an impetus. It is only fitting that in the largest democracy in the world, many parties have won elections riding on the success of their creative slogans, while others have lost when their catchphrases fell flat.
Slogans are important to marshal the energies of the activists, create team spirit and introduce the candidates and their platforms to the electorate. Indian politics has a rich history of slogans, providing the humour, interest and enthusiasm needed to engage voters. Some of the most memorable slogans include Indira Gandhi’s Garibi Hatao and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.
Capturing the mood
In election campaigns, slogans can be crucial if they capture the mood of the country or a quality of the candidate or a promise to the electorate. It doesn’t often happen but when it does, the slogan becomes the shorthand for the entire campaign. One of the more recent instances of this is Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign slogan Abki Baar, Modi Sarkar. It became an instant hit. It became so popular that Donald Trump used it to appeal to the Indian-American community by saying Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar. Mr. Trump had another slogan, “Make America great again”, four words that became the bedrock of his presidential campaign.
Indian politics has a history of election slogans that have been funny and an instant hit with the masses. Some of the most amusing campaign slogans include Ek Sherni, Sau Langur [one lioness, 100 langurs] Chikmagalur bhai Chikmagalur, coined by the Congress for Indira Gandhi during the 1978 byelection, and Jab tak rahega samose mein aaloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Lalu [As long as samosas have potato filling, Lalu Prasad will remain in power in Bihar].
But not all slogans are successful. There are some that have failed to resonate with the public such as the BJP’s 2004 slogan “India Shining” and Jeb Bush’s 2016 Republican Primary war cry “Jeb can fix it”. Hillary Clinton’s “I’m with her” for the 2016 presidential election didn’t evoke a positive response but Donald Trump’s reply “I’m with you” did. Just one word made a huge difference.
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