- At the outset, let us all celebrate the dance of democracy in the Indian electoral context since this form of governance offers so much liberty, freedom, and independence to the citizens in choosing their elected representatives by exercising the franchise. Little wonder, any elections, especially the state and parliamentary, are nothing short of festivities for all stakeholders. The political parties irrespective of ideologies/affiliations/philosophies leave no stone unturned in making every attempt to hog the attention of the electorate. Rightly so. Yes, the Indian election is a festival in itself with the political class making every effort to stay attuned to the requirements of the common citizens by releasing manifestos containing detailed descriptions.
PC: FreePik
- Of course, we are quite exposed to assurances, promises, reassurances, inducements, incentives, and exhortations from the political leaders to not only impress upon the electorate but also to go one up on the opposition to gain even more traction. Does it succeed in impressing the electorate? Greatly. What has added to the narrative in recent times is the increasingly polarized viewpoints bandied about by every player in the fray. Note that the communal and secular narrative always plays a fundamental role in the electoral battles along with the labyrinthine caste conundrum firmly entrenched in the system as well. On top of it, the polarizing narrative dished out by the national parties alongside regional parties is a fact that cannot be disputed anymore.
- At the best of times, it is not an easy task to comprehend the typically complex caste equations so seamlessly blended into the Indian political firmament. Adding polarizing viewpoints has only further muddied the narration in the last few years. The emergence of the right-wing proponents Bharatiya Janata Party and their unabashed embrace of the Hindu consolidation efforts have turned the political battleground into an extremely sensitive one. The opposition parties led by the Grand Old Party have attempted every trick in the book to corner the aggressive BJP but have failed miserably as the results of several polls show. The Congress even attempted to usher in soft Hindutva to garner salience but could not break the BJP’s stranglehold in several states.
PC: FreePik
- The moot point to ponder over here is whether the increasingly polarized society serves the larger interest of the country. The minorities have chosen their political parties that are opposed to the Hindutva brand. Within the Hindu consolidation efforts undertaken by the BJP, the labyrinthine caste calculations viz. OBCs, MBCs, SCs, and STs make it completely challenging to forge an alliance that could be termed a winnable one. However, it appears the BJP has cracked this seemingly unassailable factor successfully going by the wins it is chalking out despite mounting challenges from the opposition parties closing ranks. One thing is for sure, the polarization is here to stay, and it will only consolidate further in the days ahead. Let’s brace up for it.
