OLD CHALLENGES IN THE NEW YEAR

ROAD AHEAD FOR OPPN UNITY SEEMS TO BE ROCKY WITH SEVERAL INDIA BLOC ALLIES CALLING FOR INTROSPECTION BY THE GRAND OLD PARTY ON THE POLL LOSSES

- PREETHA NAIR @ New Delhi

As 2025 begins, the ruling BJP appears poised to confront more challenges than it can fall back on achievements in its forward electoral journey. Several contentious issues, such as the 'One Nation One Election', the Uniform Civil Code and the contentious Waqf Bills await political consensus. That’s a tough ask as the Opposition strategically tosses up BJP’s principal strategist Amit Shah’s recent remarks on BR Ambedkar.

The immediate hurdle for the party is selecting a new party president through organisational polls slated by February – a choice fraught with complexities of caste, creed, and regional considerations. Other key electoral challenges include establishing stronger footholds in poll-bound Bihar and Delhi, and skillfully navigating around the controversial issues mentioned above.

Of course, the real test in early 2025 is the Delhi Assembly election, followed by the Bihar poll. Delhi remains a challenging landscape where the BJP must confront entrenched opposition forces. Bihar demands a nuanced approach to its complex caste equations and opposition alliances.

In 2024, the BJP failed to meet its ambitious ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar’ target in the Lok Sabha election, exposing electoral vulnerabilities. However, in 2025, as reliable sources indicate, the party is expected to focus on mitigating weaknesses in states where its hold is relatively weak. It plans a series of outreach programmes.