Page 24 - 15MAY2019E

column
News &
views
Bharat hiteshi
Hiteshi is an
independent journalist-
turned-author and a
political commentator.
The views expressed
are his own
Most surveys suggest
that Modi remains
by far the most
popular national
leader. However,
the resurgence
of Congress and
emergence of strong
regional parties are
also being underlined
BJP contests more
seats than Congress
For the first time, the saffron party has fielded 437 candidates for
the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as against 423 contestants of Congress but
Rahul Gandhi’s NYAY is likely to spoil the party
or the first time ever, the BJP failed to get tickets and in many cases the
is contesting more seats than opposition has stronger candidates. As
the Congress in the general far as issues are concerned, it is national-
election. The BJP contested ism narrative versus local issues of bread
433 seats in 2009 general and butter, the issues of unemploy-
F election, 428 seats in 2014 ment and farm sector problems. Modi’s
and 437 in ongoing 2019 elections. The popularity is the BJP’s strength, but will it
BJP has fielded 437 candidates for the be enough to offset all the local vulner-
Lok Sabha poll 2019 as against 423 of abilities of the party?
Congress. Significantly, during 2014 Modi The declaration of 437 candidates is
wave, the BJP had declared 428 candi- a sign of the ruling party’s growth pan
dates as against 464 of the Congress and India in the past few years. The 2014 was
503 of the Bahujan Samaj Party. The BSP a turning point for Indian politics, after
had declared 500 candidates in 2009. decades of the Congress in pole position
However, in 2019, 139 candidates are and BJP coming to power on its own.
contesting on BSP symbol. The highest The election decimated Congress to 44,
number of candidates of BJP in 2019 per- its poorest performance ever. The fact is
haps speak of its growing relevance in that the high number of 437 seats being
the country or as it claims as the largest contested by the BJP point out to another
political party of the world. The elec- truth that this party failed to muster alli-
tion at the time of writing this piece is ance with any party in some states.
midway and polling for half of the seats For example, the BJP is not in alliance
is already over. There are two ways to with any party in either Andhra Pradesh
understand the election, and its possible or Telangana and has fielded candidates
outcome. on all 42 Lok Sabha seats of these states.
Most surveys suggest that Prime In 2009, the BJP contested 433 seats
Minister, Narendra Modi remains by far across the country and the Congress
the most popular national leader. He is 440. The BJP ended up with 116 seats.
the favourite to be PM. The reasons to The Congress won 206, and took power
support him vary from perceptions of his along with its alliance partners in the
UPA. The next election in 2014 saw the
strength and decisiveness to absence of
alternatives or a fear of a weak coalition. BJP contesting 428 seats and registering
But there is another simultaneous pro- victory in 282 seats.
cess underway which underlines the fact
Now a talk about the manifestoes of
of a resurgent Congress and emergence the BJP and the Congress. The BJP mani-
of strong regional parties. festo cover shows Prime Minister Nar-
Coupled with the emergence of
endra Modi, and the back page features
resurgent Congress and joining of some Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal
regional parties, the ruling BJP appears Upadhyaya and Atal Behari Vajpayee
assuring ideological continuity. Terms
to face the burden of anti-incumbency
since there is a BJP government at the like “surgical strike” and “zero tolerance
Centre and in most states. There is rebel-
towards terrorism” are there to focus on
lion in some states by those who have national security. The BJP’s vote pitch
Tehelka / 15 may 2019 24 www.Tehelka.com