In a chilling account of political power plays in India, Nitin Deshmukh, a representative from Maharashtra, found himself at the center of a sinister strategy employed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). After attending a routine assembly vote in June 2022, he accepted an invitation for dinner with a senior party official. What followed was a harrowing ordeal where Deshmukh was forcibly taken in a vehicle and held against his will at a luxury resort, a tactic referred to as "resort politics."
Deshmukh realized the gravity of the situation as the car deviated from its intended route, joining a convoy that indicated he was being abducted. It was a calculated move by party leaders who were orchestrating a revolt against the Maharashtra state government. Lawmakers like Deshmukh were isolated in lavish accommodations, with reports of being restrained and drugged to prevent any attempts to escape. This strategy was designed to ensure that enough lawmakers could be coerced into joining a breakaway faction, thereby depriving the government of its majority and facilitating its collapse.
This troubling strategy of resort politics is part of a broader pattern across multiple states in India. Following electoral failures, the BJP has resorted to such high-handed methods to assert control and influence over state governments. Lawmakers who have experienced this coercive environment claim that these maneuvers, advocated by Modi's party, hijack democratic processes and further consolidate the party’s grip on power.
Deshmukh realized the gravity of the situation as the car deviated from its intended route, joining a convoy that indicated he was being abducted. It was a calculated move by party leaders who were orchestrating a revolt against the Maharashtra state government. Lawmakers like Deshmukh were isolated in lavish accommodations, with reports of being restrained and drugged to prevent any attempts to escape. This strategy was designed to ensure that enough lawmakers could be coerced into joining a breakaway faction, thereby depriving the government of its majority and facilitating its collapse.
This troubling strategy of resort politics is part of a broader pattern across multiple states in India. Following electoral failures, the BJP has resorted to such high-handed methods to assert control and influence over state governments. Lawmakers who have experienced this coercive environment claim that these maneuvers, advocated by Modi's party, hijack democratic processes and further consolidate the party’s grip on power.
