The BJP’s defeat in the recent Karnataka election has put the party under pressure to evaluate its strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The weekly magazine Organizer, affiliated with the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor, has warned that relying solely on the Modi magic and Hindutva ideology will not be enough to win all future elections. The magazine has called for the BJP to develop strong regional leadership and effective delivery at the regional level.
The Organizer stated that corruption was a major issue in the Karnataka elections, with the BJP’s inability to add to its previous vote share in the face of high voter turnout resulting in poor seat conversion. It further noted that anti-incumbency against sitting ministers should be a cause for concern for the BJP. In contrast, the Congress’ victory in the Karnataka election was attributed to the presentation of a unified front at the state level, with regional leaders taking a front-stage role during the campaign.
The magazine warned of the dangers of playing the linguistic and religious identity cards in elections, as this could cause long-term damage to the country. The use of such identity politics was seen in the Karnataka election, with caste-based mobilisation being done openly. The magazine also noted that religion played an important role in the Congress’ victory, with Muslim leaders putting forth demands to the Congress leadership against the consolidated vote and the Church openly stating its institutional role in the win. The magazine called on the BJP to learn from these lessons and develop a more effective strategy that will ensure victory.
