POLITICAL COMMENT The Ringside View

Economist Column New Urban economics of West Bengal, some thoughful analysis Political Column Defeat of BJP was never in doubt, the question was only the extent of drubbing Ringside View Depleteing fortunes for the BJP

Three of the BJP's bastions in the Hindi heart land - Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have fallen. Of the others, Uttar Pradesh where BJP has been heading a ramshackle, opportunistic coalition would face similar consequences in any prospective electoral battle.

What explains this BJP's debale? For a variety of reasons, no doubt - from the strident pursuit of its 'Hindutva' ideology to the rising prices of essential commodities. But the party itself is a divided house in searching a plausible reason. Some say, it is because party's ideological agenda of 'Hindutva' were not carried vigorously, while others assert, the party's zealotry that brought about its downfall.

Admittedly, BJP's sectarian intolerance has alienated the minorities and the dalits. One may recall, during the last decade BJP tried to broaden its electoral support base through systematic campaign of its 'Hindutva' agenda. Ayodhya represented a turning point in the history of the BJP's share of popular vote. The Congress inaction during the Narasima Rao regime helped BJP garner its strength in the process. The BJP also took advantage of the Left's absence to fill the vacuum created by the declining Congress.

But what the BJP did not reckon is that its aggressive "Hindutva" campaign did not, as such, help it gain legislative majorities. For the advent to power it had to make an opportunistic alliance with various groups and sub-groups. Once Advani himself conceded that his party's political progression was not entirely smooth and free of snags and its advance did not quite match the pace of the Congress decline. However, nine months non-governance in the meantime has snatched away whatever legislative gains it has achieved in the Hindi heart land.

Hence, BJP is again at the crossroads. When the pursuit of the 'hidden agenda' behind the façade of so-called 'national agenda for governance' did not yield results, should the mask be thrown out and hidden agenda brought to the daylight. The hardliners have been pressing the point that the 'Hindutva' agenda was diluted on account of coalition compulsion and hence, the debacle. Therefore they advocate for return to the vigorous pursuit of ideological agenda of the "Hindutva" formation. With the possibilities of the country going for the mid-term poll, the hardliners have already taken initiative to bring back the agenda once again to the foreground. The 'Sangh Parivar' march to re-enact the Ayodhya drama at Budangiri Darga in Karnataka is a pointer to it.

But the people have not taken it lying down this time. Its minority-baiting has turned out to be a damp squib.