Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Saturday, 31 October drew sharp parallels between contemporary Indian politics and the Hindu epic Mahabharata, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not Abhimanyu but Arjuna — and will break through every political trap laid against him. Speaking in Ghaziabad, Krishnam went further, predicting that Modi will be sworn in as Prime Minister for a fourth time in 2029.

The Mahabharata Parallel

Krishnam invoked the imagery of the Chakravyuha — the inescapable labyrinthine battle formation from the Mahabharata — to describe what he characterised as a coordinated opposition assault on the Prime Minister. He argued that the opposition had misidentified their target.

'Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the entire Kaurava clan and the Kaurava faction are coming together. All the Kauravas are uniting and attacking PM Narendra Modi, thinking of him as Abhimanyu,' Krishnam said.

'All these Kauravas, all the great warriors, and the entire Kaurava clan gathering in the Opposition should understand very clearly that PM Narendra Modi is not Abhimanyu; he is Arjuna,' he added.

The 2029 Prediction

Krishnam went on to make a pointed electoral claim, predicting a fourth consecutive term for Modi at the helm. 'He will break all the Chakravyuhas, and in 2029, the oath will echo: 'I, Narendra Modi, taking oath for the fourth time as the Prime Minister of India,'' he said. The remarks signal a consolidation of pro-BJP voices from outside the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the political landscape begins to orient itself toward the 2029 general elections.

Swipe at Congress President Kharge

Krishnam also targeted Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, using pointed language to dismiss his political relevance. 'Mallikarjun Kharge has now become an object of pity. He is no longer a spark. A spent cartridge and extinguished ashes cannot explode,' Krishnam said.

His remarks came amid a widening political row over Kharge's alleged 'baap' jibe at Prime Minister Modi during an event in Patna. The BJP has sharply criticised the remark, while Congress has moved to contain the fallout.

Congress Defends Kharge

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury came to Kharge's defence, describing the controversy as a deliberate escalation. 'The government of our country always tries to find a little hole anywhere. They know the art of making a mountain out of a molehill,' Chowdhury said.

Chowdhury maintained that Kharge's remark was rooted in local idiom and was not intended literally. 'What our President said was meant metaphorically — that even someone stronger than PM Modi can be defeated. This is a local jargon. It does not literally mean 'father,'' he added. Notably, the BJP has rejected this interpretation, keeping the controversy alive ahead of what is shaping up to be a charged political season.

The Broader Political Context

The episode reflects a pattern of intensifying rhetoric on both sides as parties jockey for position well before the next electoral cycle. Krishnam's defection from the Congress narrative — he is a former party leader — lends additional edge to his remarks, making them harder for the opposition to dismiss as ruling-party propaganda. The debate over Kharge's Patna remarks is unlikely to fade quickly, with the BJP showing no sign of letting the issue drop.