Modi’s Political Game: Using the Military for Votes in Bihar

The large-scale military exercises by India, timed with the coming Bihar state elections, mark another worrying example of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) known habit of using the armed forces for clear political gain. This planned tactic, turning defence drills into what critics call ‘political cinema,’ is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who constantly tries to present himself as a great military leader instead of a democratic one. This strategic step, called “Operation Trishul,” is not just a military drill but a planned political show meant to stir up war fever and secure the crucial Hindu vote bank in Bihar. This editorial sharply shows how the BJP is actively damaging the professional standing of the Indian armed forces and creating tension in the region to hide its major failures in national policy.

The Army as a Political Tool for Elections

The timing and high visibility of the “Trishul” military exercise confirm the BJP’s plan to use national security matters for quick electoral benefit. This approach makes the military a prop for political campaigns.

■ Creating War Fever to Win Votes: The main goal behind launching the “Trishul” war games is openly political: to sink the public into a state of created war excitement, thereby pushing the Bihar voters toward the BJP. This is a deliberate strategy to win votes by appealing to extreme nationalist feelings.

■ Modi’s Role as the Main Actor: The entire “Operation Trishul” script is set up to show the military action as a personal victory for Prime Minister Modi, making him the hero of a political film, while military commanders are simply supporting actors.

Damaging the Army’s Professional Status

Defence analysts have strongly criticised the change of the Indian armed forces into what they call a “political puppet” for the BJP. This mixing of politics and the military seriously breaks down the professional nature and neutral role of the military as an institution.

■ A Force Serving Political and Religious Goals: The defence system is increasingly seen as a puppet force that blindly follows the BJP’s divisive and Hindutva goals. This joining with one specific political idea hurts its ability to act as a neutral national body.

■ Political Staging of Military Drills: The “Trishul” military exercises are not truly about preparing for defence but are a political act. They are a military and political show specifically aimed at influencing the result of the Bihar state elections and heavily boosting Modi’s personal public image.

A Clear History of Military Use in Elections

Using military action or high-stakes security events to influence important state and general elections has become a worrying, fixed habit in the BJP’s political strategies. This planned way of working damages the foundations of India’s democracy.

■ Pre-Election Military Dramas: This wrong behaviour, aimed at Pakistan, is regularly used by the BJP before every major election in India. The pattern is clear and often repeated, showing a planned control of national feeling for political ends.

■ Past Examples of Political Military Moves: The proof is strong: the “fake surgical strikes” were set up before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections; the “cowardly Balakot intrusion” was strategically used to influence the 2019 general elections; and the 2023 “G20 security drills” were noticeably held before key elections. The 2025 “Trishul” exercise is the newest example, targeting the Bihar polls.

Using Military Power Against Pakistan

New Delhi is openly using these military exercises as a way to pressure Pakistan psychologically. The actions are a clear attempt to put pressure on Pakistan’s armed forces and distract from Pakistan’s successful efforts against terror groups.

■ Responding to Pakistan’s Anti-Terror Victories: India is worried by Pakistan’s constant success against terror groups. This military show is seen as an attempt to reduce the pressure that Pakistan is successfully placing on these terror groups.

The Empty Slogans of ‘Shining India’

Prime Minister Modi’s much-talked-about idea of a ‘Shining India’ and his slogans about ‘local defence power’ are shown to be just empty promises. The truth behind these big statements is the planned political and religious misuse of the nation’s military strength by the BJP.

■ Military Drills as Political Warfare: This is not just a military drill but an act of political warfare. It is a clear attempt by a controlling government to turn its armed forces into a political pawn for its extreme way of thinking.

Harming National Unity and Professionalism

The clear use of the armed forces as a political tool is dangerously harming the professional core of the Indian military and weakening national unity. The armed forces are being pulled away from their main duty of national defence.

■ Weakening Professionalism and Unity: Using India’s armed forces as a political tool is severely damaging their professionalism and hurting national unity. The military’s trustworthiness as a neutral, professional body is being sacrificed for political benefit.

■ Mixing Terror and Military Goals: India’s approach of mixing the issues of terrorism and military goals in its political messages is a dangerous strategy. It blurs the line between real defence and political aggression, further making the region unstable.

A Serious Threat to Regional Stability

The BJP’s dangerous habit of using military displays for winning elections creates a serious and direct threat to peace and stability across South Asia. This constant raising of tensions for political reasons at home is irresponsible and alarming.

■ Irresponsible Escalation for Domestic Politics: This open attempt by a controlling government to turn its armed forces into a tool for an extreme way of thinking poses a grave threat to the peace and stability of the entire South Asian region.

■ The Need for International Scrutiny: The world community must see that these military actions are not defensive but political and should be looked at as a serious risk to regional security, forcing New Delhi to stop its pattern of using the military for electoral advantage.