The BJP, currently holding around 240 seats, has formed the government with the support of its allies, who have differing viewpoints on some matters. If the BJP does not align with these allies, people might perceive this as an act of dictatorship, given the populist nature of these allies' views.
The BJP is often seen as a nationalist party, or more specifically, a Hindutva party, with supporters expecting it to uphold the identity of India as a Hindu nation. This was evident in the 2019 elections, where demonetisation did not reduce BJP's vote share. In 2024, the BJP tried to balance its approach and truly emerge as a "sabka saath, sabka vikas" party. While this inclusive approach is commendable, some core supporters felt the BJP was not making strong statements in favor of Hindutva. Consequently, these voters, who are crucial to the BJP, drifted away, thinking there was no point in supporting the BJP if it also began favoring Islam and not supporting the Hindutva agenda. Even the Ram Mandir inauguration did not sway them positively towards the BJP, as the party then started to emphasize working equally for both Hindus and Muslims. Despite having a complete majority, the BJP did not implement the Uniform Civil Code in India, did not repeal special provisions for minorities, and did not take concrete actions for Hindutva as a national agenda. This perception persists even now, with the BJP in power.
For the BJP to return to power, they need to focus solely on the Hindutva agenda and avoid making empty promises to Hindus. They could have achieved their target of 370 seats if their commitment to the Hindutva agenda had been evident. Even when Modi invoked the Hindu-Muslim agenda during the election, people saw it as a mere tactic to win votes.
While the BJP still holds the majority vote in major areas, even a small shift in voter support matters, as seen in UP this time. By fielding candidates from various castes to balance caste politics, the BJP indicated a move away from Hindutva politics, causing further disillusionment among its supporters. The BJP's core support comes from the upper caste, but this time, they were not satisfied as none of the policies suggested the implementation of equal laws in the future, particularly regarding reservations. The BJP could have at least introduced a law for reservations for the economically weak, regardless of caste.
Regarding Article 370, the BJP has not done enough to support the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. At least some package or pilot project should have been introduced to facilitate their return. Laws should have been enacted to help them reclaim their homes, or at least a supportive statement should have been made, but this never happened.
In the northeast, Himanta Biswa Sarma clearly made statements in favor of Hindus, deviating from Modi's stance that the BJP does not engage in Hindu-Muslim politics. The results in Assam, where the NDA won 11 out of 14 seats, demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.
It is evident that with a strong Hindutva agenda and corresponding actions, the BJP can win the 2029 elections with a significant number of seats. They need just 2% more votes to reach a tally of 370 or more.
Comments
Post a Comment