The electoral defeat in Faizabad was not new for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The saffron party suffered three losses from the seat after the disputed structure, known as Babri Masjid, was demolished in Ayodhya. This is enough to show that the rise of the BJP has not been synonymous to its electoral performance in Faizabad, which was the epicentre of Ram Temple Movement. Ayodhya is an assembly segment where the BJP candidate actually maintained the lead even in the last Lok Sabha election despite losing the seat by more than 50,000 votes. However, the BJP has not been defeated here since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, riding on the wave of cultural nationalism and Hindutva politics. So the recent defeat at the hands of Congress’s ally Samajwadi Party gave the INDIA bloc a sense of rejuvenation because the slide of the BJP was not limited to just one seat. It lost 29 seats, many on the route of Ram Van Gaman Path, the path Lord Rama took after being exiled from Ayodhya. After Faizabad, the loss in the Badrinath assembly bypoll has further emboldened the INDIA bloc, especially the Congress. They believe these temple town victories will boost the morale of their ranks, instilling confidence that they can challenge the BJP on its own turf.
The party brass has been quick to link Ayodhya with Badrinath, where Lord Vishnu is believed to have meditated and Lord Rama is considered his seventh avatar. Uttarakhand Congress leaders Ganesh Godiyal and Harish Rawat quickly drew this parallel and mounted an attack on the BJP, stating that Modi’s party is not the sole custodian of Hindu sentiments. Ironically, another temple town clash is around the corner. The land of Gods will witness another bypoll in Kedarnath, where Lord Shiva is worshipped. The mythological correlation has already been put forth by the Congress, as Lord Rama is believed to have always worshipped Lord Shiva. Before crossing to Sri Lanka, He is said to have performed a puja at the Shiva temple in Rameshwaram.
The loss in Badrinath was the first suffered by the ruling party in any bypoll in Uttarakhand. Significantly, the seat became vacant after incumbent Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari resigned from the party and entered the fray from the BJP. The BJP has historically not taken bypoll results very seriously. However, the narrative set by the INDIA bloc after the recent bypoll victories in six states is bound to change the BJP’s strategy, especially with 10 vacant assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh going to polls just before the high-stakes battles in Maharashtra and Haryana. The change is palpable.
Following Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s back-to-back meetings in Gorakhpur, the BJP top brass has held multiple rounds of strategic meetings in Lucknow. Notably, for the first time, CM Yogi Adityanath publicly acknowledged that the division of votes along caste lines was a significant factor in the party’s dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. This implies that Hindutva alone cannot blur caste identities in favour of a particular party.
It’s natural, as the deeply divided strata of our society can’t continuously seek solace in the religious and spiritual waves unleashed by any political party. Now that Ram Lalla has found his place, the BJP needs to move forward with its development plank, which must encompass much more than just roti, kapda and makaan. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders have the advantage of being in opposition and they will continue to counter the BJP from all sides. Remember, when Rahul Gandhi was first seen having tilak on his forehead in Somnath and then flaunted his janeu, the BJP launched a scathing attack, terming him a “poll-time Hindu”. However, that did not deter the brother-sister duo as Priyanka embarked on Ganga Yatra during the 2017 UP assembly polls and they continued their temple run even if PM Modi always grabbed the limelight, Ram Temple consecration being the recent example.
The way Rahul Gandhi displayed an image of Lord Shiva in the Lok Sabha, taking a Hinduism jibe at the BJP for attacking the idea of India, was an example of confidence temple town victories have given to the opposition. Although Rahul never looked articulate, he compelled Amit Shah and even PM Modi to intervene and clarify or correct him about his description of Hinduism. The Badrinath result will further bolster this sentiment. But the opposition has to realise that despite getting a booster dose, the larger mandate has gone with the BJP. They have to face the BJP in more than a dozen assembly polls before the next general elections. Their challenge will be to keep enhancing their support base.
On the other hand, the ruling BJP at the Centre has the chance to do course corrections. Modi has been quick to realise his dependence on alliance partners in his third term. This, in itself, will ensure National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners have a greater say in decision making, which will help consolidate their united presence in states where the BJP plays the role of a junior ally. The youth seek job creation, farmers demand better prices, the marginalised poor call for faster economic upliftment and the salaried class desires tax relief.
Wait for a week and the government will have the chance to indicate its intentions when the budget will be tabled in Parliament.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.