Now that the results of Bihar assembly elections are out, it’s time for introspection. Where did the BJP-led NDA go wrong? The party had made this election a referendum on the Modi government and it is are now realising the fact that high-octane campaigning of the Modi-Shah gargantuan couldn’t save the alliance from being drubbed.
This dramatic turnaround for the Grand Alliance is suggestive of the fact that the Bihar voters were not swayed by flurry of commitments made by the BJP. It’s also a reason enough for BJP to mull over its performance at the Centre. Has it delivered on good governance during last one and a half years? If results are any indication, then the answer is negative. The use of communal and caste card didn’t work, or else, referring to Prime Minister Modi’s Teli background could have given the party a wholehearted support of EBC community.
Much before the elections, the scenario was quite bleak for the BJP. It had developed its strategy around the PM’s credibility and that must have proven counterproductive. Moreover, the people of Bihar had a feeling that the party believes in elitist policies with a large chunk of supporters belonging to the upper castes and bania community.
The BJP can play down the impact by harping on the cliché that state elections are no reflection on central government or a party’s clout, but deep inside it knows that it’s an opportunity that they have lost. Victory in Bihar would not only have been a huge boost for PM Modi ahead of the Assam assembly elections, but it could have made the party a more dominant political force.
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