OPINION: The time has come, now BJP has to become a party with a difference, know where the saffron party is making mistakes

New Delhi : After the results of the Lok Sabha elections, Indian politics has started taking a turn. Even after forming the government for the third time with 293 NDA MPs, BJP does not seem confident, while the opposition, which won 234 seats, is in high spirits. The results of the assembly by-elections have also increased BJP’s tension. In the by-elections held for 13 assembly seats, BJP got only two seats. Somewhere the atmosphere in the country has started becoming like Manmohan Singh’s UPA-2. Allegations of rigging in exams like NEET and UGC have already started this. Solutions are being found for the work done during the tenure of the Modi government and people are also liking it. After being in power for 10 years, the image of PM Narendra Modi and his/her government remained spotless in the matter of corruption. Now questions are being raised on paper leaks, crumbling bridges, crumbling roads and leaking airports in the rain. The public is ignoring the claims made by the government and the party. If BJP is not successful in changing its image, then it will have to face the consequences in the state elections. Now BJP will get a booster dose only when it wins big in Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra in the elections to be held in November.

In 2014, BJP benefited from the environment created by corruption

Go back in flashback and remember the period of 2014. When Narendra Modi became the candidate for the post of Prime Minister, the people of the country were troubled by the news of corruption and scams. Manmohan Singh was promoted as such a Prime Minister who works as a subordinate of the Congress President. The opposition also questioned his/her silence on big scams. Congress also did not seem capable of giving a precise answer to the allegations. Narendra Modi, who had become a brand in Gujarat, took advantage of this environment. The people waiting for change supported him/her and BJP formed a government with full majority. Then for 10 years, the wind of nationalism blew and Narendra Modi emerged as its biggest icon. BJP kept on occupying the Hindi belt from Panchayat to Parliament. The credit for the victory in the Municipal Corporation was also put on PM Modi’s head. The blame for the defeat in Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka was taken by the local leaders. In 2019, Balakot air strike and surgical strike increased the credibility of PM Modi. The public gave him/her a chance to form the government for the second time. In Modi 2.0, bold decisions like removal of Article 370 and implementation of CAA were also taken. Even during the Corona period, the public stood with Narendra Modi. People did what he/she said. This was the peak of his/her popularity, seeing which the entire world including the opposition was stunned. Despite the farmer agitation and deaths due to Corona, BJP returned to power in UP. Last year, when the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Narendra Modi was considered invincible.

In 2024, BJP got trapped in its own ‘free’ and ‘cash’ trick

The situation changed in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Despite better election management and aggressive campaign, BJP could not reach the figure of 273 for absolute majority. The opposition’s morale increased when BJP, which contested the elections on the basis of nationalism, free ration and Modi magic, got stuck at 240. BJP leaders say that they could not find a solution to the confusion spread by the opposition regarding ending reservation, 10 kg free ration and giving Rs 8500 instantly. Experts believe that Narendra Modi himself got trapped in the trap of his/her own scheme. BJP considered Ram temple, five kg free ration and cash delivery system as the panacea for victory. After Corona, a class of voters was created which votes bumper on free schemes. In the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition increased the amount of free schemes and cash. At the organizational level, the Modi-Shah duo cut the tickets of about 100 MPs in the name of age and performance and gave tickets to faces from other parties. But BJP made a big mistake in this screening. he/she gave tickets to MPs who were not seen in the area. he/she also fielded those leaders whom the public did not even recognize. Most of the BJP candidates were confident of winning on the face of PM Narendra Modi and the result is now out.

There is still time…BJP should find answers to these questions

The big question is, who after Modi? : The credit for the better work of the central government went to PM Narendra Modi. The credit for the development taking place in the states continued to go to PM Modi. In the Modi-Shah era, BJP could not present a face that could become an alternative to PM Narendra Modi. A similar situation was in 2004, when the stature of big leaders started diminishing in front of the image of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After losing an election under the leadership of LK Advani, it took 10 years for the organization to make another leader. Most people along with political experts have accepted that 2024 is the last election of PM Narendra Modi, because he/she will be 78 years old in 2029. This narrative is making its place among the people at a very fast pace. Its effect will also be visible in the next two years. BJP can call it a move of the opposition, but till now no preparation is visible from the party against this narrative. The party is neither presenting any leader as an alternative nor is it denying it.

Middle class has empty hands: The urban middle class has been the core voter of BJP, but in the last 10 years, the middle class has got nothing except the poison of nationalism. Those who pay tax on every purchase did not get income tax exemption. Government jobs were reduced. The situation was similar during the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when the NDA government reduced the size of the government and filled the government treasury. In 2004, the Sensex was booming and India’s foreign exchange reserves crossed 100 billion dollars for the first time. When the government changed, the Congress distributed jobs from this treasury. Today, at the government level, the BJP is repeating the same mistake. The opposition has got the big issue of unemployment and inflation in its hands. Now this issue is also being liked by the common people.

Only PM Modi’s branding: In the last 10 years, BJP moved forward on the lines of Congress. Just as in Congress, the Gandhi family wins and the blame for the defeat is put on local leaders, a similar practice developed in BJP. BJP is moving forward with Brand Modi. One-sided credit for victory in elections was given to PM Modi, while in states like Madhya Pradesh, local leaders like Shivraj Singh Chauhan played a big role. In UP, Yogi Adityanath is also very popular among the public. Wherever BJP won, the leaders of the organization who handled the election management with Modi’s face did not get credit. Running a government and an organization is a team work, but it was linked to Brand Modi.

Accusation of Congressification of BJP: Leaders imported from Congress and other parties were given a place in the party, government and organisation, while only those workers who worked hard for the organisation for years remained. Most of the leaders coming from other parties were those who were defeated by BJP leaders in elections and were looking for their political future. These leaders were also given ministerial posts at the centre and in the states. This attitude of the party was enough to break the morale of senior workers. Now in hushed tones, leaders are talking about Congressisation of BJP.

Old records being broken since one year: BJP’s core supporters have been considering the tagline of ‘Party with a Difference’ as the ideal. Narendra Modi government got a second and third chance because it took out-of-the-box decisions on BJP’s core issues apart from national security. For the past one year, the party has been chanting a few issues like toilets, free ration, fifth economic power, which Narendra Modi has repeated many times in Red Fort, Parliament, election campaign and abroad. The party’s spokespersons also repeat the same issues repeatedly in TV debates. Most of these issues are economic and free issues, which the lower and middle class do not understand. It is well known that no matter who is in power, the era of economic liberalization will continue. This government will have to change its appearance along with a new attitude.