BJP Returning To Its Core Hindu vote Bank

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

- Pratul Sharma

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.”