The recently concluded Assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangna and Mizoram have been a matter of great interest for various reasons. With the BJP ruling at the centre for close to ten years, the implementation of their policies, have a frightening impact on the country.
Be it demonetisation, GST implementation or the sudden ‘Corona lockdown’ the average people Indian have endured unspeakable suffering.
A rising authoritarianism and decline in freedom indices are a matter of great worry. The increasing hunger index and declining wellbeing tell the rest of the story.
The ruling BJP also abrogated Article 370, with the claim that this will reduce militancy in Kashmir but the results are far from what they claim. The targeting of the Muslim minority continues unabated, the scattered anti Christian violence is another painful phenomenon. It is in this background the opposition parties have been trying to form an INDIA alliance. It was expected that the opposition parties would try to preserve ‘the Idea of India ‘as envisaged in our Constitution. A lot of hopes were pinned on this alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The assembly election results seem to have put a spanner in this hope. The Congress party state level leaderships, in a high handed manner ignored the other parties of the alliance, in the process of annoying them and putting a lot of challenge to the process of resuming the journey of alliance in times to come. Congress could win only Telangana, while losing the Hindi heartland states. Though Congress lost in these three states, the results are a bit surprising. Most of the Exit Poll results were giving a a fair edge to Congress in these states. So the defeat of Congress is a bit enigmatic, too.
True, its alliance with other national and smaller parties would have improved its performance in the states; still, its defeat in these states is beyond logical explanation. This is the aspect which the allies of INDIA have to keep in mind while chalking out their strategy for Lok Sabha election.
A side aspect of these results is that now most of South Indian states are BJP mukt (free from BJP rule). Some commentators are arguing that the appeal of Hindu Nationalist BJP politics is restricted predominantly to Hindi speaking states, the Cow belt. Congress on its part and other parties have also to see that despite its claims BJP is not on a very solid wicket. In the present elections if we see the total votes polled in the five states, Congress has polled 4.92 Crores in comparison to 4.81 Crore votes of BJP. Then there is Mizoram, which was once part of the NDA alliance has now slipped out of NDA.
Various speculations fill the air are about demoralization of Congress party workers. It may sound true as an instant reaction. As time passes, however, Congress party workers cannot only feel spirited with the win in Telangana and significantly having polled more votes than the rival BJP. With time the feeling of depression will recede. Now, the new Congress leadership is trying its best to proactively deal with the situation. ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was a major step in this direction. The background work of many Congress workers and its reviving the spirit of dynamism, may yet yield a positive result in strengthening the spirit of the party.
The core point remains however. Can all those parties who committed to the formation of INDIA alliance, repose their faith in the alliance yet again, a faith which has partly been shaken by election results?
The defeat of Congress in three major states, will make the Congress leadership sit-up and try to rectify the slips due to which the parties which committed to the alliance are showing reservations. These opposition parties know it well that alone, left to themselves, they cannot take on the mighty electoral machinery of BJP, well armed with manpower, money power, muscle power and the media, which is bowing to the feet of the current ruling party at the center.
The opposition parties also realise that the BJP is not alone as it is well assisted by the Swayamsevaks and Pracharaks of RSS. They also know that all RSS affiliates, VHP, ABVP, Bajrang Dal, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and a large number of RSS affiliates make it a point to totally commit themselves and their cadres to the victory of the BJP at every election. They also have realised the power of electoral bonds, the NRI support to Hindu nationalist ideology, the big Corporates solidly standing with BJP, as BJP is giving them lots of concessions, beyond what is obvious.
The opposition parties also realise that the BJP has been inching towards a Hindu Nation.
It has been eroding the values of the Indian Constitution in an overt and covert way. The use, or rather the abuse, of the Enforcement Directorste (ED, Income Tax (IT), and CBI against the opposition parties is yet another point which will make these parties stick together with some give and take. It is also well known that among the top Congress leadership, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge in particular, the spirit of accommodation is very high. Though this duo could not fully prevail over the state leadership in the state Assembly Elections, they are most likely to put their foot down and try to stitch up a firm alliance. Rahul Gandhi has stated that Congress will be willing to offer any sacrifice for the united opposition. He has rightly stated that it is an ideological battle and not just an electoral fight.
So at the moment it may seem that different opposition parties are pulling in different directions. Much before the Lok Sabha election dates are announced, it is still possible that the INDIA alliance will be stitched together with a more solid glue and it will then ready itself to take on the divisive politics of the BJP-RSS.
The rank hatred spread by this majoritarian politics is not compatible with the survival of our democracy. Opposition should be worried by the deep infiltration of Hindu nationalists in different institutions of the state, including the education system.
One must both hope and assume that knitting all these aspects together the opposition will eventually come together, before its too late. If that happens they will certainly be able to win the election and ensure that the first step in fending off the grips of a Hindu nationalist agenda, which is on an ascendancy at present, is achieved.
Related:
Telangana State Elections: Polarising voters doesn’t yield results for BJP, key leaders lose seats
Madhya Pradesh: Hate speeches mar the state election campaigns
Telangana Hate Crimes: a closer look as Election Day approaches