India's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party faces an uncertain future after a heavy election defeat, as its mix of Hindu-revivalism and promise of strong governance failed to convince its traditional middle-class base. The BJP could not capitalise on problems such as price rises after inflation hit nearly 13 percent last year, tens of millions of job losses and a string of militant attacks, including the assault on Mumbai in November.
"Most of all, this election was a setback for the BJP. Its candidate for PM and his large team proved on the whole to be out of touch with the emerging India of the 21st century," wrote political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan in the Mail Today.
The party, which rose to prominence around two decades ago on a platform of Hindu-revivalism, also called "Hindutva", may not have distanced itself sufficiently from fringe elements accused of stoking religious tensions for political gain. "Yet if it was unable to transcend Hindutva, the party was equally not adept at addressing the issues of economic change," Rangarajan said.
Its ageing leader, the 81-year-old L.K. Advani, contrasts with Congress' focus on youth, exemplified by a man half Advani's age, Rahul Gandhi, who is tipped to become prime minister one day. "I think where it faltered was that it was seen to have a really tired appeal," said Swapan Dasgupta, a political analyst with links to the BJP.
In its manifesto, the BJP revived an old pledge to build a Hindu temple in northern India on the site of a mosque torn down by mobs in 1992, an incident that sparked deadly riots. While that pledge had shored up votes for the BJP in the past, the issue may not hold the relevance to much of India it once did.
The BJP's entire coalition won fewer seats than Congress did on its own. The BJP won just 116 seats, compared to the 138 it won in 2004, against Congress' 206, which was the ruling party's best showing in nearly two decades. "This election suggested that there were two social constituencies which were hitherto identified with the BJP, particularly in the 1990s, which have deserted you. One is the middle classes, and number two is the youth," Dasgupta said.
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