Hi, I’m Eve. It makes perfect sense to an outsider that PM Modi’s disappointment in India’s recent elections was due to the opposition’s successful mobilization on caste issues, but his response was poor. Can anyone who knows Indian politics please comment on whether this analysis is accurate or an oversimplification?
By Priya Chacko (Associate Professor in International Politics, University of Adelaide) and Anand Sreekumar (PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide). conversation
This year’s Indian general election is likely to Integrity of the Election Process More than any other in the country’s history.
For example, in December the Election Commission of the Indian Parliament Appointed Because they were selected by an executive branch-led committee, many feared that free and fair elections could be jeopardized.
During the election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a series of speeches, Widely seen as IslamophobicIn it, he accused the opposition Indian National Congress party of giving preferential treatment to Muslims. Could not properly We will enforce our Model Code of Conduct regarding these comments.
Opposition Prime MinisterMeanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal of the Afghanistan Ahmed Party (AAP) and Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have been arrested on corruption charges, with both parties claiming that the charges are politically motivated.
But one lesson from this election is that opposition parties can undermine the ruling party’s advantage, even when there are doubts about how free and fair the vote was.
In Indian elections, opposition parties have presented a united front and stuck to a consistent message that reflected the specific issues of voter grievance.
Why was caste politics so important?
The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Modi, did not perform as well as expected in the elections, suffering heavy defeats in the party’s northern Indian heartland. Prime Minister Modi began the six-week election campaign declaring that the party would win more than 400 seats. In the end, the party’s tally was reduced to 240 seats, while the opposition National Alliance for Development and Inclusiveness (INDIA) won 232 seats.
India has had a shaky start to its elections, with its founding member Janata Dal joining Modi’s coalition earlier this year. India is also We’re screwed A seat-sharing agreement was reached with another party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which continued to remain in the coalition.
But as the election campaign dragged on, the BJP’s attacks on the opposition have led to a more united front, with a particular focus on caste issues.
Indian society and politics Caste systemIts roots are Ancient Religious TextsIt gives symbolic and material rights and privileges to people based on their affiliation to a particular caste.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech Highlighting A promise to uphold the Constitution and address the issue of caste-based injustice in India. He promised to conduct a caste census to identify the extent of disadvantage and wealth concentration in society.
He also pointed to the centralisation of power in government and an upper-caste dominated media that worships Modi and is indifferent to problems of unemployment and inflation.
Laloo Prasad Yadav, leader of the Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha (RJD), which is also a member of the Indian Union, Warned The BJP wanted to amend the constitution to eliminate caste-based affirmative action, a claim that Modi denied, but which seemed to resonate with people. Voters.
The biggest story for me about this election is how the Indian parties made huge gains in Dalit and rural constituencies, while the NDA retained urban and upper caste constituencies. That really says it all. pic.twitter.com/9DcqLlIRow
— Mohit (@mohiittverma) June 4, 2024
The caste issue has posed a dilemma for Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics, which places importance on the customs and behavior of upper-caste Hindus while relying on the support of the lower-caste majority to win elections.
The BJP has tried to ease these tensions by Welfare system He accused the secular opposition parties of conspiring with Muslims to exploit the lower-caste poor Hindus.
In the run-up to the election, Prime Minister Modi claimed to have replaced traditional caste stratification with four new welfare castes.Beneficiary“Women, farmers, youth and the poor”
In reality, however, government welfare programs consist of small cash transfers, small loans, food rations, and subsidies for personal items such as toilets. Compensate This has led to stagnant incomes and a lack of jobs. The Modi government’s spending on health and education could be transformative. Declined.
The BJP’s infrastructure-focused economic policies benefit big business, Accusations of crony capitalism. Also, Substantial foreign country Investment or growth Manufacturing To create more jobs.
Over the last decade, and especially since the COVID pandemic, India has The most unequal countries in the world. Women, Dalits, Adivasi and Muslim The result was the worst possible outcome.
Dalit politicians on the rise
Perhaps the biggest surprise for the BJP was its heavy defeat in its heartland, Uttar Pradesh.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) previously dominated Uttar Pradesh politics by promoting the interests of certain lower castes and “other backward classes”. But this tactic has Grudge The trend is also seen among other lower castes and was exploited by the BJP when it came to coming to power in 2017.
In this election, the Socialist Party has adopted a new and broader Caste Alliance.
The election also saw a new shift in politics for Dalits, the lowest rung of India’s caste system, with a new Dalit party emerging in the state of Uttar Pradesh. More and more prominentLed by the Azad Party Chandra Sekhar Azad.
Further south Viduthalai Chilthaigal Kutch (V.C.K.) Largest Dalit political party in Tamil NaduIt won all the seats it contested.
The Future of Indian Democracy
Indian democracy is not out of the woods yet. Activist, student, Political leaders and journalist Still held captive.
The Hindu nationalist movement A history of inciting communal violence When things don’t go your way in an election.
The Modi government Media CensorshipThe same is true during elections.
While there is little sign that Modi will moderate what many see as authoritarian tendencies, there is now growing resistance, skepticism and political alternatives that could help restore democracy in India.
