BJP's strategy for 2024
I had talked about a detailed Congress strategy in a 3 part series. This thread focuses on the BJP strategy for 2024.
1. Pluralism/Hindutva - BJP fought 2014 on the issue of Development (Gujarat model). In 2019 development remained an issue but the Protagonist was Nationalism (recall Uri movie followed by Pulwama and then Balakot airstrikes) with "How's the Josh" being the tagline along with "Ye Naya Bharat hai, Ghar me ghus ke maarega" being pumped up taglines of this theme. BJP Delhi President Manoj Tiwari even dawned Army men uniform for his campaign, much to the burn of AAP leaders. For 2024, BJP will have various issues but the most important of them is Pluralism (aka Hindutva). Whether it is the euphoria of Ram Janmabhoomi temple or Modi revealing pictures of his official PM residence with Cow 'Gau Mata' grazing around. The blatant display of Hinduphobia by DMK and some Congress leaders has also helped the cause. So has the naked and gaudy display of Islamist extremists (read 7/10 terror attack in Israel) to multiple instances of violence in India by violent fringe groups backed by their religion. This is not merely a fear campaign, Modi has displayed some wonders. For instance 10 Crore tourists visited Varanasi after the Kashi corridor as compared to 1.8 Crore in the 3 years pre Covid era. Whether it is Kashi or Bet Dwarka or multiple other important shrines, the govt has finally helped create the necessary Infra from a small portion of Hindu taxpayers money. A lot more needs to be done but do expect Hindu Glory, pride and pluralism to be the core of BJP's strategy against an apartheid enabling war cry of 'Jitni Abadi Utna Haq'.
2. A New Dawn of Social engineering - This experiment started in UP 2014 and peaked in the 2017 and 2019 elections and now is being implemented in Pan India. This strategy is bigger and more potent than the erstwhile KHAM or AHINDA or MY strategy by various Mandal driven political parties. The UC+OBC+ST project. As per this, BJP targets the 3 groups. Upper Castes, OBCs (usually all OBCs but in some cases all but the dominant ones) and the STs. BJP also targets select SC groups such as Pasis,Khatiks and Valmikis in UP, Musahars and Paswans in Bihar, Madigas in Telangana, Non Mahars in Maharashtra and so on. While some parties have been trying to fester the Neo Buddhist movement among some SC groups, this potent strategy gives BJP an access to nearly 70% to 80% of the Hindu community. BJP not only targets them but also offers them power. (Presidents, CMs, Dy CMs) are from these groups. This Social Engineering Combo was tried in Gujarat 2022 after UP and that too gave BJP the biggest ever mandate in the Assembly. The BJP then successfully used the same social engineering experiment in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which too gave BJP its highest ever vote share and seat share haul in these 2 states. Now that this experiment has worked in 4 different states and given the highest vote share as well as seat share in all these 4 states, expect it to be unleashed in the 2024 general elections. Here too it won't be a surprise if the BJP achieves its highest ever vote share and seat share.
3. New India - This strategy hits the aspirational India. By projecting India as an emerging power and with events like G20, ODI World Cup (result notwithstanding), record level performance in Asian Games, India's rising clout in the World, Diplomacy, ambitious Space Missions. Huge Infrastructure push, Expressways, 100+ Airports, High Speed Railways and ability to stare down 'hostile' global powers like China and the USA by eliminating threats in any corner of the world, is also part of the 2024 strategy. As per this strategy the party wants to target aspirational voters and aims to treat this as a differentiator.
4. Targeted Welfarism - BJP is not Right of the Centre and indulges in its own set of Freebie ('Revdi') politics. To counter Caste politics, BJP has enlisted 4 crucial vote banks which will be used more repeatedly as time goes by . Kisan, Yuva, Mahila and Gareeb. The next set of announcements would also be around appeasement of these 4 voting blocks
5. Alliance Chemistry and Arithmetic - Lastly BJP is keen to build formidable alliances in the states where it considers its own presence to be weaker than necessary. However in most of these cases it would look to avoid onboarding unreliable partners and create a situation where alliances need BJP more than the other way around. That is how the allies have been coming through.
Series concluded
I had talked about a detailed Congress strategy in a 3 part series. This thread focuses on the BJP strategy for 2024.
1. Pluralism/Hindutva - BJP fought 2014 on the issue of Development (Gujarat model). In 2019 development remained an issue but the Protagonist was Nationalism (recall Uri movie followed by Pulwama and then Balakot airstrikes) with "How's the Josh" being the tagline along with "Ye Naya Bharat hai, Ghar me ghus ke maarega" being pumped up taglines of this theme. BJP Delhi President Manoj Tiwari even dawned Army men uniform for his campaign, much to the burn of AAP leaders. For 2024, BJP will have various issues but the most important of them is Pluralism (aka Hindutva). Whether it is the euphoria of Ram Janmabhoomi temple or Modi revealing pictures of his official PM residence with Cow 'Gau Mata' grazing around. The blatant display of Hinduphobia by DMK and some Congress leaders has also helped the cause. So has the naked and gaudy display of Islamist extremists (read 7/10 terror attack in Israel) to multiple instances of violence in India by violent fringe groups backed by their religion. This is not merely a fear campaign, Modi has displayed some wonders. For instance 10 Crore tourists visited Varanasi after the Kashi corridor as compared to 1.8 Crore in the 3 years pre Covid era. Whether it is Kashi or Bet Dwarka or multiple other important shrines, the govt has finally helped create the necessary Infra from a small portion of Hindu taxpayers money. A lot more needs to be done but do expect Hindu Glory, pride and pluralism to be the core of BJP's strategy against an apartheid enabling war cry of 'Jitni Abadi Utna Haq'.
2. A New Dawn of Social engineering - This experiment started in UP 2014 and peaked in the 2017 and 2019 elections and now is being implemented in Pan India. This strategy is bigger and more potent than the erstwhile KHAM or AHINDA or MY strategy by various Mandal driven political parties. The UC+OBC+ST project. As per this, BJP targets the 3 groups. Upper Castes, OBCs (usually all OBCs but in some cases all but the dominant ones) and the STs. BJP also targets select SC groups such as Pasis,Khatiks and Valmikis in UP, Musahars and Paswans in Bihar, Madigas in Telangana, Non Mahars in Maharashtra and so on. While some parties have been trying to fester the Neo Buddhist movement among some SC groups, this potent strategy gives BJP an access to nearly 70% to 80% of the Hindu community. BJP not only targets them but also offers them power. (Presidents, CMs, Dy CMs) are from these groups. This Social Engineering Combo was tried in Gujarat 2022 after UP and that too gave BJP the biggest ever mandate in the Assembly. The BJP then successfully used the same social engineering experiment in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which too gave BJP its highest ever vote share and seat share haul in these 2 states. Now that this experiment has worked in 4 different states and given the highest vote share as well as seat share in all these 4 states, expect it to be unleashed in the 2024 general elections. Here too it won't be a surprise if the BJP achieves its highest ever vote share and seat share.
3. New India - This strategy hits the aspirational India. By projecting India as an emerging power and with events like G20, ODI World Cup (result notwithstanding), record level performance in Asian Games, India's rising clout in the World, Diplomacy, ambitious Space Missions. Huge Infrastructure push, Expressways, 100+ Airports, High Speed Railways and ability to stare down 'hostile' global powers like China and the USA by eliminating threats in any corner of the world, is also part of the 2024 strategy. As per this strategy the party wants to target aspirational voters and aims to treat this as a differentiator.
4. Targeted Welfarism - BJP is not Right of the Centre and indulges in its own set of Freebie ('Revdi') politics. To counter Caste politics, BJP has enlisted 4 crucial vote banks which will be used more repeatedly as time goes by . Kisan, Yuva, Mahila and Gareeb. The next set of announcements would also be around appeasement of these 4 voting blocks
5. Alliance Chemistry and Arithmetic - Lastly BJP is keen to build formidable alliances in the states where it considers its own presence to be weaker than necessary. However in most of these cases it would look to avoid onboarding unreliable partners and create a situation where alliances need BJP more than the other way around. That is how the allies have been coming through.
Series concluded
Congress strategy thread
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