In the 2014 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) notched a historic victory, becoming the first party to win an outright majority in the Lok Sabha since 1984 and only the second party ever to achieve that distinction after the Indian National Congress (INC). In 2019, the BJP repeated this feat, ushering in pronouncements that India was witnessing the dawn of a "fourth party system". As next spring's 2024 polls loom, debates continue about what drives the BJP's success, and what, if anything, those factors say about the political landscape in the coming general elections.
Historically, scholarly responses to such questions make little mention of political ideology. Rather, the dominant political science discourse has long characterised India as a "patronage democracy" where political behaviour is best understood through the lenses of clientelism and identity-based parochialism. According to these accounts, politicians and their supporters primarily engage in a quid pro quo exchange of votes for expected material benefits; is viewed as important only insofar as it alters the perceived likelihood that an individual or their community - will receive more government resources.
The lack of attention to political ideology contrasts strongly with the recent ubiquity of ideological debates in Indian politics. For instance, the BJP has emphasised and sought to establish ownership over cultural issues, contrasting its Hindu nationalist positions with the so-called "secular" Opposition's policies. The BJP's 2014 election campaign was defined by the idea of radical change. It promised potential voters an efficient, corruption-free government that would deliver ambitious development projects, generate employment opportunities, strengthen India's position in the world through a more aggressive national security and foreign policy, and - importantly-pave the way for India's "true Hindu identity" to flourish.
Denne historien er fra December 25, 2023-utgaven av Hindustan Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 25, 2023-utgaven av Hindustan Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Palestinian PM Resigns Citing 'New Reality' Of War In Gaza
The United States and other powers have called for a reformed Palestinian Authority to take charge of all Palestinian territories after the end of war
Future Perfect: The Kids Are All Right
Gill and Jurel hold out promise by simplifying a challenging chase to help India seal series
Akshay feels 'blessed' to have worked with OG Ramayan cast
Director Akshay K Agarwal shot a music video, Humare Ram Aaye Hai, with the cast of the 1987 TV show, Ramayanactors Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri - in Ayodhya recently.
Musk's firm gets nod for Sat Net; joins Jio, Bharti
Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been allowed to offer satellite broadband services in India, two officials aware of the development said.
A temple, 169 years in the making
Through decades of design and reworks, hurdles in engineering and construction, HT pieces together how the grandeur of the Ram Temple was reclaimed
'Political interference' forces Vihari to quit Andhra cricket
After Andhra bowed out of the Ranji Trophy at the quarter-final stage with a four-run defeat to Madhya Pradesh in Indore on Monday, senior batter Hanuma Vihari launched a scathing attack on the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), saying he will never turn up for the state again.
Shafali, Kapp lead Capitals to a 9-wicket win over Warriorz
A blazing fifty by Shafali Verma (64₹, 43 balls) helped Delhi Capitals make a mockery of a target of 120 and open their account in the second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
Making 'unbelievable things believable', the Ayhika way
The India No. 7 was an inspired pick for the world team event and she repaid the faith, beating the Chinese world No.1
'Connected TVs to reach 45 mn by 2024-end in India'
With improvement in broadband penetration, Indian households are increasingly opting for connected or addressable TVs.
India chip strategy makes progress as $21 billion in proposals received
The Indian government, after years of watching from the sidelines of the chips race, now has to evaluate $21 billion of semiconductor proposals and divvy up taxpayer support between foreign chipmakers, local champions or some combination of the two.