DON’T WANT VOTES?
The redevelopment of Ayodhya into a temple town was preceded by the demolition of thousands of homes and stores. Nearly two dozen locals, including BJP supporters, told Reuters they were dissatisfied with the compensation offered.
A SP voter who identified himself by his first name of Shakti said he was part of a group that had lobbied BJP leaders for support.
“They said they didn’t want these 10,000 to 20,000 votes from local businessmen, they would win anyway,” he said.
Another Ayodhya trader confirmed Shakti’s account and local BJP leader Veerchand Manjhi said he had also found it difficult to get locals’ issues addressed by authorities.
District magistrate Nitish Kumar said in response to Reuters questions that the compensation process was fair.
Ratan Sharda, a senior leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological parent, wrote in the June 16 issue of its “Organiser” magazine that the result was a “reality check.”
BJP activists and leaders were “happy in their bubble, enjoying the glow reflected from Modiji’s aura, they were not listening to the voices on the streets,” he wrote.
BJP RESILIENCE?
The BJP retains many strengths, including a leader with popular backing across the party, control of Uttar Pradesh’s state government and the backing of the influential RSS, said Delhi University professor Chandrachur Singh.
Analysts such as CSDS’s Sanjay Kumar noted that the BJP did well in states where there wasn’t a strong local party like the SP in Uttar Pradesh, which was able to capitalise on regional discontent.
And while Congress tried to nationalise its message that the BJP posed a threat to affirmative action, caste-based messaging held less appeal in urbanising India’s many cities. “In urban areas, caste is overridden by class identities,” Singh said.
The BJP’s Patel said that the party had launched a detailed review of the loss and was confident of winning state elections in Uttar Pradesh that are due by 2027.
“The BJP either wins, or it learns,” a BJP worker in Ayodhya told Reuters.
