Big challenges await BJP in Assembly, Lok Sabha polls and this is not opposition unity

Opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, are gearing up for the next assembly elections to be held around December this year and the Lok Sabha elections next year. While the Congress will go into the polls with more confidence after its landslide victory in Karnataka, the BJP will look to rebuild its prestige after humiliating defeats in Himachal and the southern state. Elections will be held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram by the end of this year. Of these five states, two are ruled by the BJP, two by the Congress and one by K Chandrasekhar’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

While the BJP has largely relied on the charisma of Narendra Modi and the electoral issue of Hindutva, both factors failed in Karnataka and Himachal, forcing the saffron party to re-formulate its electoral strategy. On the other hand, the opposition parties are trying to form an alliance to counter the saffron power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. If the BJP fails to win four out of these five states, then the next parliamentary elections may prove to be difficult for the party. While a united opposition may pose a challenge to the BJP, the saffron party has bigger issues if it wants to win the next assembly elections and consolidate its position for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The five immediate issues that the BJP needs to address are given below:

free of cost

Opposition parties like Aam Aadmi Party and Congress have left behind BJP’s welfare politics by giving various freebies. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently emphasized that the Narendra Modi government gives priority to the implementation of public welfare schemes rather than resorting to the vote-for-freebies policy. However, the availability of free electricity, free bus rides for women and free rice have undoubtedly provided much needed financial support to a certain section of the population. That’s why BJP will either have to eat frog or get out of politics of freebies.

lpg cylinder

In the last decade, the price of subsidized LPG cylinders has increased significantly. A cylinder that earlier cost around Rs 500 now costs Rs 1,150 as the government has ended subsidies for most consumers. This substantial increase, nearly doubling the prices, places a significant burden on households, especially those dependent on daily wages, especially in the post-pandemic world.

petrol and milk prices

Two additional issues adversely affecting middle- and low-income households are petrol and milk prices. Petrol, which cost around Rs 70 in 2014, has now increased by Rs 27 per liter to around Rs 97. Similarly, the price of full cream milk has increased from Rs 46 to Rs 66 per litre. Though the government cannot control the prices of milk, it can surely reduce the burden of petrol prices on the consumers.

monthly financial assistance

Targeting women and educated unemployed persons, the promise of monthly financial assistance made by the Congress in Karnataka swung the votes in its favour. While unemployment may not be a primary concern during elections, financial aid unquestionably garners a significant vote share. Furthermore, it conveys that the funds provided can help meet household expenses such as LPG cylinders or milk prices.

local leadership

The BJP’s strategy of choosing and changing chief ministers has backfired in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. The absence of strong local leadership in many states has proved to be a disadvantage for the saffron party. Recent assembly election results indicated that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains a popular figure, he cannot win on his own. BJP should focus on nurturing grassroots leaders to build a strong support system. Relying on the performance of a select few will not prove beneficial for the party in the long run.