Has the BJP become an ‘election winning machine’?

Has the BJP become an ‘election winning machine’?

While a hectic campaign is on for the Gujarat assembly election, the BJP has gained ground in the municipal corporation polls in Uttar Pradesh, which concluded last week.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had made it a big prestige issue, as this was the first electoral test after his victory in the last assembly elections. Even as the opposition drives the political agenda of GST implementation issues and demonetisation causing large scale unemployment, the BJP seems to be winning every small
election happening in the country.

Has the BJP perfected the art of pre-poll campaigns? Is it now a perfect election winning machine?

The BJP has taken a big lead in mayoral elections in most municipal corporations, with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party ahead in the other two. The BJP also won in other municipal councils and nagar panchayats,  with the Samajwadi Party in second place.

In Uttar Pradesh, the polls were seen as the first big test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who took over in March this year after the BJP’s massive sweep of the UP assembly elections. Some weeks ago, in Maharashtra’s city council polls, the BJP did very well as the election of the council chief was converted to direct election.

The numbers showed that in most councils, BJP had its chairman elected, even as the number of members of council elected was less in comparison with other political parties. BJP is also leading in Ayodhya-Faizabad. Chief Minister Adityanath began his campaign with a rally in Ayodhya, which, along with twin city Faizabad, has just been upgraded to a municipal corporation. The 45-year-old chief minister addressed 26 rallies, travelling to all 16 districts where civic elections were held. Narendra Modi was busy in Gujarat but Adityanath has managed to hold his fort.

In Maharashtra, the BJP very smartly converted the city council polls into city council chairman polls, so direct election of chairmen to the council was introduced, despite BJP’s partner Shiv Sena opposing it. This made all the difference and on the record, it could be established that BJP had higher numbers.

In Gujarat, the BJP has smartly turned the narrative away from the much-hyped issue of development (vikas), to an out-and-out nationalism and community agenda. In his campaign speeches, PM Modi is seen targeting the Gandhi family and bringing up subjects like 26/11 terror attack, Hindus being targeted by terrorists from Pakistan, army’s surgical strike across the border and Nehru’s opposition to build certain temples! The agenda is designed in such a manner that it can appeal to Gujarat’s voters, who have been supporting Modi since the 2002 communal riots in the state.

In Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announced in the state assembly that his government will ensure that the supply of beef remains stable and for that purpose, if needed, beef may be imported from other states. This was clearly designed to keep the Christian community in Goa happy, despite BJP’s national agenda on the sale of beef!  

So in state after state, the BJP is seen ensuring that the voter is kept happy and policies are fine tuned towards gaining political ground. People seem to be following it and seem to still, somehow, think that Modi’s intentions are genuine!

The noise the opposition parties created after the government kept postponing the announcement of parliament’s winter session schedule does not seem to have affected people in states like UP either, at least the recent voting does not show any effect.

Now, against this backdrop, Gujarat is going to be a big test for the BJP. The prime minister being a Gujarati is a matter of pride for the people of the state and that will influence the voting to some extent, but opposition says GST, demonetisation and other issues will also play some part in influencing people. Will the BJP succeed in maintaining its momentum of winning polls after polls, in Gujarat too? Or will this be an exception? Only time will tell!

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