Howsoever it may please certain sections, the attempts through denigration to attack the BJP’s ongoing Ram Temple high is going to backfire on INDI Alliance parties. This is obvious to almost everybody, but not a day passes without one or the other politician commenting in ill-informed manner on Lord Ram. How is this approach going to benefit the political fortunes of the Alliance? Is it their belief that their vote-bank will be consolidated in this way, or are they afraid it may slip away in the present euphoria of the consecration at Ayodhya?
It would have been so much easier to join in on the general festive mood and even launch parallel programmes of their own to celebrate the occasion. This would have, to some extent, denied the BJP any monopoly on the positive outcomes of the event. It is clear that the leadership, particularly that of the Congress, has failed to discuss, assess and formulate a strategy on the issue. As a result, self-goals are being scored by panicked leaders in their individual capacity. Some parties in the alliance have been forced to distance themselves from this antagonistic approach, which will have a fallout when it comes to seat sharing and announcing a common programme.
It is not as though there are no chinks in the BJP’s armour, but all the attempts, thus far, to find these have failed to hit the mark. It will be difficult for the main challenger, the Congress, which will be contesting the ‘Hindi Heartland’ domination of the BJP, to win seats with this present approach. Its leadership has, thus far, failed to clarify its position on economic policies, which hold much significance in the context of PM Modi’s successes. Sadly, it is harking back to the Socialist era – if Rahul Gandhi’s fulminations against ‘crony capitalists’ are anything to go by – which will not go down well with the present day aspirational mood of the youth. There is also targeting of what is termed the ‘general category’ of society in the belief that it has an adversarial relationship with the SCs, STs and OBCs. The latter are by no means a homogeneous unit and have a complex mix of aspirations, many of which run contrary to each other’s interests. In comparison, no matter what its support base is, the BJP continues to reiterate the ‘inclusive’ philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas’. Ironically, it is the BJP that is termed divisive. Which approach does the Alliance think are the people more likely to favour?
