Indian opposition exploited caste and constitution to shock Modi in elections

YOU DON’T WANT VOTES?

The redevelopment of Ayodhya as a temple town was preceded by the demolition of thousands of houses and shops. Nearly two dozen local residents, including BJP supporters, told Reuters they were unhappy with the proposed compensation.

An SP voter who identified himself by his first name Shakti said he was part of a group that had lobbied BJP leaders for support.

“They said they didn’t want those 10,000 to 20,000 local businessman votes, which they would win anyway,” he said.

Another trader in Ayodhya confirmed Shakti’s account and local BJP leader Veerchand Manjhi said he also found it difficult to get residents’ problems resolved by the authorities.

District magistrate Nitish Kumar said in response to Reuters questions that the compensation process was fair.

Ratan Sharda, a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological parent, wrote in the June 16 issue of his “Organize” magazine that the result was a “reality check.”

BJP activists and leaders were “happy in their bubble, basking in the glow reflected by Modiji’s aura, they were not listening to the voices in the streets”, he wrote.

THE RESILIENCE OF THE BJP?

The BJP retains many strengths, including a leader with popular support across the party, control of the Uttar Pradesh state government and support from the influential RSS, said Chandrachur Singh, a professor at the University of Delhi.

Analysts such as Sanjay Kumar of the CSDS noted that the BJP performed well in states where there was no strong local party like the SP in Uttar Pradesh, capable of capitalizing on regional discontent.

And while Congress tried to nationalize its message that the BJP posed a threat to affirmative action, caste-based messages were less appealing in India’s many rapidly urbanizing cities. “In urban areas, class identities replace castes,” Singh said.

BJP’s Patel said the party had launched a detailed review of the loss and was confident of winning the state elections in Uttar Pradesh, due by 2027.

“Either the BJP wins or it learns,” a BJP worker in Ayodhya told Reuters.