BJP Returning To Its Core Hindu vote Bank
THE WEEK|January 20, 2019

Shaken up by the election setbacks, the BJP is going all out to woo back its core Hindu vote bank.

Pratul Sharma
BJP Returning To Its Core Hindu vote Bank

During a lecture series in Delhi last September, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat tried to present a softer side of the 94-year-old right-wing organisation, taking a more accommodative view than the BJP and talking about political and religious inclusivity. During his annual Vijaya Dashami speech three weeks later, however, he was a lot more assertive, sending a message to the government on the Ram temple and urban naxals. Two months later, Bhagwat’s tone became sterner, as he said “only temple will be built in Ayodhya”, and mentioned the yet-to be-announced national education policy. Many felt it signalled his growing impatience with the Narendra Modi government.

The defeat in the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh was a shock for the BJP, and a reality check for those in the party who expected the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to be a cakewalk. Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s comment that the leadership should own up to the party’s poor performance was interpreted as a note of dissent. Gadkari lauding the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi added to the confusion of the cadre. His outspokenness set tongues wagging over the disquiet within the party.

“The BJP’s defeat in three states that had the strongest party and RSS presence was a pointer that it had diverted from its core supporters and issues,” said an RSS insider. “Though some amount of anti-incumbency was there, the poor show in strongholds showed all was not well. The upper caste anger was visible, and so was their disenchantment. The Central government and the party needed to address it. The message is to go back to the core.”

Esta historia es de la edición January 20, 2019 de THE WEEK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 20, 2019 de THE WEEK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEKVer todo
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024