BJP Needs New Political Strategy

In a shocking turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a resounding defeat in Karnataka despite employing a twin strategy of a high-decibel election campaign focused on the polarisation of Hindu votes and relying on the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This loss has left the party’s top brass perplexed and prompted them to reconsider their current approach and devise a new strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in 2023 and the Lok Sabha election in 2024. In light of this, PM Narendra Modi recently held a crucial meeting with top BJP leaders, including the party’s strategic mastermind, Amit Shah. Over the past two months, following the humiliating defeat in Karnataka at the hands of the Congress party, the BJP has found itself in a state of bewilderment. While the BJP’s election campaign was led by the charismatic Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress campaign was spearheaded by a younger and less experienced Rahul Gandhi, whom BJP leaders love to refer to as ‘Pappu’, meaning ignorant. This dilemma and desperation are now apparent within the party.
While the BJP hopes that opposition unity will falter during the seat-sharing negotiations and on the question of leadership, they are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts. A recent high-level meeting at PM Modi’s residence indicates the party’s determination. Despite the failure of communal polarisation in Karnataka, BJP leaders nationwide continue to stoke the political cauldron by raising communal issues, including the proposed Universal Civil Code (UCC). PM Modi’s recent emphasis on the UCC suggests that the BJP intends to bring this issue to the forefront as a means of communal polarisation during the upcoming state and Lok Sabha elections. The high-level meeting discussed various politically significant matters, including strategies for communal polarisation and, notably, the UCC. Although the meeting’s outcome remains undisclosed, sources suggest that PM Modi, home minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, and BJP general secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh deliberated on a range of organisational and political issues. Anti-incumbency factors that could undermine the BJP’s electoral prospects were also discussed.
PM Modi has instructed BJP leaders and ministers to prioritise their activities in view of the upcoming elections. He has specifically emphasised the need for vote-catching strategies such as implementing schemes for the poor and middle-class and informing the public about the government’s achievements. The meeting also highlighted the importance of increased engagement between party officials, elected representatives, and ministers in their respective constituencies. However, finding an effective new strategy remains a challenge for the BJP. The old strategies that failed in Karnataka have forced the party to reevaluate its approach. The search for a winning combination of issues that can resonate with the electorate, overcome anti-incumbency, and counter the united opposition continues. The outcome of the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in various states later in 2023 will provide crucial insights into the direction of politics leading up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. As the BJP grapples with anti-incumbency sentiments and the threat posed by a united opposition, they continue to search for emotionally charged communal issues. However, the party is not garnering the overwhelming support it received from the majority Hindu voters in previous elections. The public’s enduring hardships and economic challenges have become the party’s biggest obstacle.