India’s current government is led by the Bharatiya Janta Party or the BJP. It is also the country’s largest national party. It was formed in 1980, though its origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was founded in 1951. The Jana Sangh was closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization that continues to play a significant role in shaping the BJP’s ideology.
The party first came to power at the center in 1996, but its government lasted only 13 days. It returned to power in 1998, forming a coalition under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. His tenure saw India conducting nuclear tests in 1998, economic reforms, and a focus on infrastructure development. However, the BJP lost power in 2004 to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The BJP made a historic comeback in 2014 by securing 282 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, with Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister. Major policy changes include the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 that criminalized triple talaq in India.
The government’s handling of several protests and crises has faced widespread scrutiny. The 2020–2021 farmer protests, which were sparked by the controversial farm laws that were later repealed, drew significant public attention, with criticism directed at the use of force and the management of the situation. Similarly, the government’s response to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests raised concerns over its handling of dissent, particularly the use of force. The BJP’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic also attracted criticism, especially regarding the lack of transparency around the death toll, shortages of medical resources like oxygen cylinders, and inadequate preparedness during the second wave.
Additionally, the ongoing inter-tribe conflict in Manipur, which erupted in 2023, has faced criticism for the government’s perceived failure to take adequate action, with accusations of poor crisis management and insufficient intervention in addressing the escalating violence.
1. After unsatisfactory performance in Assembly election in three Hindi speaking states, BJP has to do some critical self-examination. In fact BJP’s top leadership must review party’s performance during last one year. It has done well in Tripura and it could retain power in Gujarat. In Karnataka, it failed to foresee possibilities of Congress & JD(S) alliance and failed to wrest power from the Congress. 2. My view is that in 2019 Lok Sabha election real strength of BJP as a national party will be tested in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and of course in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. 3. Seniors in BJP are mature enough to know that reasons for setback in the Assembly elections should be carefully analysed. 4. I feel that there are different probabilities after the Lok Sabha election, and two probabilities are: (a) BJP/NDA would not get a clear majority but Congress too does not get more 150 seats. (b) Regional parties in UP, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana together win about 200 seats and the Congress wins 100 seats.
5. It is obvious that the Congress party will do everything to defeat BJP and with that objective in mind, make pre-poll alliances wherever possible. BJP, as a counter strategy, should come out with a document which may be called “White Paper” (WP). The WP would have to be a comprehensive document that must deal with (a) problems like lack of job opportunities in rural and urban areas both in organised & unorganised sectors, & consequent unemployment, (b) farmers’ problems arising out of climate changes & government policies, (c) farmers’ suicides and how the Congress party has dealt with this problem earlier and how it will with it after getting back in power, (d) inflation, and in particular difficulties of senior citizens who are not govt. pensioners, (e) existing deficiencies in GST and how to rectify them, etc. It is necessary that the WP gives full details as to how BJP would deal with all these issues. I believe the WP will a very useful document through which citizens in urban areas can be convinced of BJP’s sincere efforts to retain power in the Centre in 2019. I think WP should released, at the earliest, well before next year’s Lok Sabha election so that citizens can study its content and then respond suitably.
Yes, indeed. Rightly said. For, that is the reason Congress was shunned by other parties; and, is even now finding it difficult to shed its smug, arrogant look and the “Big Brother” attitude, resulting in Mamata, Akhilesh and Maya openly scoffing at Raga’s “Leadership” qualities. Naidu (and Congress) paid the price in Telangana. BJP does need to turn back the pages and read the Vajpayee manual of ” How to win allies and keep them”. It will never be easier than now, when there is no leader with even half of Modi’s stature and integrity.
The author of the article must remove his bias against the Congress which is natural being the former editor of Organiser. How can he be objective in his writing with that bias and the arrogance of being in power..
Plan A is 300. After these recent reverses, Plan B should be 150. That will transform the relationship between the dominant partner and its coalition allies.