MUMBAI, March 1 -- War is not a cricket match and a remarkably daring cross-LoC air strike should not be reduced to a political spectacle. But we are in election season which might explain the well-choreographed celebratory note struck in the aftermath of the pre-emptive, non-military strike on the Balakot terror camp in Pakistan. As the collective conscience of a nation craves for avenging the brutal killing of 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama, the dominant national mood leads one to ask: Have Pulwama and Pakistan become the core narrative that will influence voter behaviour in the 2019 general elections? In the week leading up to Pulwama, battle lines were drawn in more predictable terms. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership spoke of a majboot sarkar (strong government) versus a maha-milawat (hotchpotch) coalition, the opposition was focused on the alleged failed promises of the Modi government, from jobs to agrarian distress. Now, in the aftermath of the air strikes, the BJP's political managers are seeking to shape the election around the more emotive theme of muscular nationalism and Modi's strongman image as a leader who has shown the political will to teach the enemy a lesson. The implicit message is that a vote against the BJP is no longer just a vote against Modi but also a vote for anti-national forces....