05-29-2009, 11:24 PM
If one goes through the State wise results, it appears that BJPâs seat variation is about 20 seats out of 545. As such, it cannot be said that all is lost for the party. Yes, its results have not been on the expected lines and hence so much noise in the media.
Therefore, a re oriented BJP can still have a good result in future elections. However, to surpass the Congress two different things can happen. One the UPA should perform so badly in the next five years that it gets voted out by the people. Second, the BJP transforms itself with the changing mood of the nation and catches the imagination of the young voters, so that it can get more seats than the Congress.
It is not an impossible task to do so but will require a complete change in the policy and functioning of the Party. The time of Rath, Mandir etc to catch the votes is over. Religion based movements will not bring it to power, as it will not cause any pan Indian appeal to the voters. It is not that the voters have detached themselves from religion. It is because the importance of religion in Politics has diminished and will get further eroded in the years to come.The expectation of development and economic well being are the prime movers of political fortunes in contemporary India.
Therefore, a re oriented BJP can still have a good result in future elections. However, to surpass the Congress two different things can happen. One the UPA should perform so badly in the next five years that it gets voted out by the people. Second, the BJP transforms itself with the changing mood of the nation and catches the imagination of the young voters, so that it can get more seats than the Congress.
It is not an impossible task to do so but will require a complete change in the policy and functioning of the Party. The time of Rath, Mandir etc to catch the votes is over. Religion based movements will not bring it to power, as it will not cause any pan Indian appeal to the voters. It is not that the voters have detached themselves from religion. It is because the importance of religion in Politics has diminished and will get further eroded in the years to come.The expectation of development and economic well being are the prime movers of political fortunes in contemporary India.