BJP has eye on liberal Hindus, not minorities

Traditionally the liberal Hindus have not been hardcore supporters of the BJP but voted for it in large numbers in 1998 and 1999 because of its liberal face – Atal Behari Vajpayee. The party’s nationalistic approach on several issues had enhanced its appeal for them. But its attitude towards the minorities has made them uneasy.

It would be naive to believe that the party expects the Muslims to support it. After the concerted attacks on Christians and their churches in the past two years, the Muslims can hardly be expected to take Bangaru Laxman’s invitation at its face value. He is, in fact, appealing to the liberal Hindus.

The party had lost no time in putting its Hindutva agenda on the backburner when it formed a coalition government in 1998. In Nagpur it took one more step away from Ram in its attempt to fill the space once occupied by the Congress which shows no sign of getting rejuvenated. This was Vajpayee’s goal that has now been adopted by Advani, Laxman and others. Advani’s words delinking governance from ideology show which way the wind is blowing.

The BJP has already hijacked the Congress’ economic agenda. While that party is agonising over whether Manmohanomics led to its defeat or not, with Manmohan Singh himself in the doghouse, the BJP has shown more resolve in brushing aside reservations and plunging headlong into the second generation of reforms.

On the social front also, the party has undone the Supreme Court verdict on relaxing marks for the Dalits in promotions with the help of a Constitutional amendment, while the Congress has not yet been able to even set up a cell in the AICC on the OBCs, simply because it has not been able to take a position on whether to go in for reservations for them in educational institutions or not.

Unlike the Congress, the BJP has come to terms with the reality of coalitions in India. It knows it will have to deal with regional parties as its allies for sometime and has to take into account their sensibilities on minorities.

Soon after taking over as party chief, Bangaru Laxman had distanced the party from the RSS agenda, asking its members not to be apologetic about temporarily falling silent on issues like Article 370, a uniform civil code and Ayodhya. He had made it clear that the party would not brook criticism from within the Parivar beyond a point.

With polls in five states due next year, Nagpur has been an attempt to brew an electoral potion which is a mix of liberal rhetoric about minorities and a nationalistic fervour created through Pakistan-bashing.