Humour gives Modi a special edge in politics

NEW DELHI: Even his opponents have acknowledged PM's oratorical skills. But what makes him so effective, as evident in his success in turning elections around to BJP's advantage, is also his use of humour as a lance.

Deploying witty one-liners and playful jabs, rooted in common idioms and everyday experiences, he often has the audience in stitches, and the targets squirming.

His associates recall that as Gujarat chief minister, Modi would riff on the immortal dialogue from Sholay and mock Congress for their "cynical politics " of luring voters by making promises which they never meant to keep. 'Arre O Sambha, kitne vote laaye?' he would say, and the audience would roar in approval.

He turned the personalised attacks on him to his advantage: "I eat 2-3 kilos of gaali daily, so nothing affects me!" The line stuck, as he repeated it years later as the PM, uttering it in Parliament.

In 2020, when Rahul Gandhi interrupted his speech in Parliament, Modi teased, "I spoke for 30-40 minutes, but the current took this long to reach. Some tube lights work like this only!" MPs burst out laughing. He also poked fun at Congress's decline: "From 400 seats to 40!"-a line that became a meme.