Brij Bhardwaj
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders work 24 hours to start preparations for the next elections, even before the current poll results are out. When it was found that regional parties in Opposition and Congress Party were planning to join hands and fight the BJP collectively in 2024 election for Lok Sabha, when BJP Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seeking a third term, it was decided to revive NDA, National Democratic Alliance.
The BJP also decided to make its victory historic to aim to get a majority on its own and with the help of allies to cross the target of 400, highest ever won by the Congress Party under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi. This had been done because of the emotional wave of sympathy that followed shooting of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguard.
A process was set into motion to win back old allies who had parted ways in last two decades. To create a favourable atmosphere it worked hard to win state Assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The big majority won by them in these States gave BJP a head start. But this was not enough as it felt that it was on weak wicket in Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. In all these States opposition parties like Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party were split with a large section joining hands with BJP leading to fall of Opposition led Governments.
In case of Karnataka, BJP won over secular Janata Dal. It also picked up many regional parties working in different States and in no time with nearly forty parties led to revival of NDA. While BJP was gaining allies, the Opposition parties after a promising start began drifting. All aims like having common agenda, naming a candidate for office of Prime Minister or division of seats for Lok Sabha were not taken up seriously. Limited interaction at three meetings resulted in loss of public interest generated by it.
In the meantime BJP which had used to maximum the opening of temple in Ayodhya as a major achievement started a full scale election campaign. Prime Minister started touring all States, inaugurating projects, talking about aims like houses for all, bringing all poor out of poverty, making India one of largest economies in the world and creation of millions of jobs. In the last days of current Parliament it notified rules for Citizenship Act which was passed four years ago.
So by the time poll dates were announced , the talk in the country no more discussed prospect of BJP getting a majority or Modi getting third tem but will it reach the target of 370 seats in Lok Sabha on its own and cross 400 with help of allies. The Opposition alliance INDIA remains on paper, but there is little coordination. .Its main weakness of improving its performance in direct contests between BJP and Congress remains.
Regional allies are of no help to Congress in States like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal and Chhattisgarh where electoral fights will take place between Congress and BJP. The NDA is also trying hard to find seats in Southern States where it is on a weak wicket with exception of Karnataka. It has improved its vote share in States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu but has no seats. It is likely to make a breakthrough in Andhra where it has joined hands with Telugu Desam leader Chandrababu Naidu. So there will be no change in composition in new Lok Sabha except few marginal gains by Congress Party.
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