BJP winning the elections
By Justice Katju
The ruling pro-Hindu Bhartiya Janta Party ( BJP ) suffered a partial setback in the 2024 parliamentary elections. It’s seats in the 545 member House being reduced from 303, a clear majority which it secured in the 2019 elections, to 240, i.e. a drop of 63 seats, thus losing its absolute majority, and becoming dependent on two allies.
After this setback, many people thought that the heydays of the BJP are over, and now it has entered into a period of decline, from which it will never recover.
However, the events which followed have shown that there was a resurgence of the BJP in many parts of India. The BJP swept the Maharashtra state assembly elections, as well as in the bye-elections in UP, the largest state in India. It won a majority in the Haryana state assembly elections, against all predictions. And now it has won by a large majority in the Delhi state assembly elections, thereby coming back to power in the state after 27 years.
How does one explain this dramatic turn of events ?
To my mind the explanation is simple. When a party goes to the polls, it must have something positive to offer to the people. The BJP has ‘Hindutva’ to offer ( whatever that may mean, and whatever be it’s worth ), and this resonates well with the 80% Hindu population of the country.
But what do the Opposition parties have to offer to the people ? Nothing. Zero. And all their talk of secularism is perceived by the people as only a desire for the large Muslim vote bank.
So the BJP will keep winning elections in India in the future as long as the Constitution and the system of democracy practised in India survive
