Even the staunchest critics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) concede that the party is perpetually in ‘election mode’. Be it the party’s organisational movement, or the relentless campaigning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this commitment is evident. However, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections did not yield the outcome the BJP had hoped for: surpassing 400 seats in the Lower House. Instead, a strong showing from the I.N.D.I.A bloc and a notable increase in Congress-held seats left the BJP with 240 seats — falling short of a majority on its own. For the first time since 2014, the BJP now relies on allies to maintain a steady footing for the NDA — an unfamiliar position for the ruling party.
After the Lok Sabha polls, assessments (both internal and external) majorly hinted towards two factors that led to the loss of seats for the BJP:
1. RSS-BJP discord
2. Opposition’s campaign that the BJP will change the Constitution, resulting in caste-based disparity
One could argue that such a complex election process and its result cannot be pinned down in just two points. However, these are the key takeaways that readily emerge from the outcome.
BJP Swaying Dalit-Bahujan Votes, RSS-BJP On Same Page
Today (October 17, 2024), the BJP with its allies and all the chief ministers from NDA are all at one stage in Chandigarh, witnessing Nayab Singh Saini taking oath as the Haryana CM — a victory the BJP pulled off in the northern state by dispelling the two major notions that hampered its chances during the 2024 Parliamentary Polls.
Even the day chosen for the oath-taking ceremony — today is Valmiki Jayanti — hints that the BJP is again ready to make amends from the Lok Sabha outing.
In Haryana, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) did the groundwork with a massive outreach effort. It held around 16,000 small meetings in the last four months, playing a crucial role in swaying non-Jat voters in the state. It was reported how RSS workers went door-to-door, apprising people of the central and state government’s policies, and also addressed public gatherings. The RSS focused particularly on those constituencies where the BJP was perceived to be weak.
With the RSS-BJP in sync and producing a positive outcome in Haryana, the initial message that the party is sending is that the saffron party is considering the SC voters one of its strengths.
Bugle For Lok Sabha 2029 Polls Already?
Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly election dates were announced on Tuesday, and the BJP has taken the podium of the Harayana oath-taking ceremony as an occasion to call its allies for a meeting.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is all set to hold a high-profile meeting of all chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from the coalition in Chandigarh today. With 13 chief ministers and 16 deputy chief ministers from the BJP, the gathering will also include the chief ministers from NDA partners in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
The event is more than a show of strength and unity by the NDA, especially knowing the BJP packs more punch than what is to be seen, with eyes on the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
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