It was taken for granted by political forces outside the Hindi heartland that the BJP’s expansion could be resisted by adopting an ‘anti-Sanatan’, ‘anti-Hindi’ approach. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be working as the party is visibly making inroads into the bastions of various ideologies, be these based on ethnicity, language, religion or communism. The regional outfits in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, along with the Congress in Karnataka, have been unable to prevent the seepage of BJP’s saffron into their strongholds. And, of course, the TMC in Bengal is also finding it difficult to play up Bengali identity in the face of the Election Commission’s SIR. The safety cushion of Bangladeshi voters is being seriously eroded.
The reason for this fallback is not just the BJP’s Hindutva push. The opposition is refusing to accept that there is persuasive force in the BJP’s governance model, with its nationalistic overtones. This is why, despite all the media hype, the party retained its hold in Bihar and is doing so in Maharashtra. The party’s performance may not be as good as would be desired but the intent is clear and the effort is there. There may be talk of the socially divisive impact of the party’s policies, but it does not seem to be affecting opinion at the grassroots level, where the many schemes and the economic reforms are delivering the goods.
While the few opposition ruled states would like to show themselves as different, they are not being able to implement alternative governance models. In fact, as in the case of the bulldozer demolition of encroachments in Bengaluru, there is a reality that cannot be ignored if work is to be got done. The identity politics may be directed at the North, but it is also roiling relations among states of the South.
This is exactly the situation that is persuading some opposition leaders to re-examine their own organisations in comparison with the BJP and the RSS. Rather than pursuing radical, all-encompassing ideas in a country that is diverse, with a politically mature electorate that cannot be taken for a ride for too long, it would be much better to provide representation and opportunities to meritorious grassroots workers. The Modi era will eventually pass and the playing field may become more even, but will the opposition have prepared for it when it had the time? It doesn’t seem so at the present. The calls for reform surely need to be heeded.
