Sunday, 13 Oct, 2024
By: Deepak Maggu
So, for the BJP, the Bermuda Triangle mystery is where Modi’s magic drowned.
So, for the BJP, the Bermuda Triangle mystery is where Modi’s magic drowned.
We saw the Modi wave in 2014 and 2019, drowning all the big fish and the grand old giant sharks in it. But despite the wave, BJP could not manage to capture the south. In 2014, out of 129 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP won only 21 seats, 17 of them in Karnataka alone. In 2019, it did managed to increase the number of seats from 21 to 29, but when compared to north, it was a below par performance.
So, south still remains a Bermudatriangle mystery for the saffron party where PM Modi has not been able to create his magic.
| States | Lok Sabha Seats | |
| 2019 | 2014 | |
| Andhra Pradesh | 0 | 3 |
| Karnataka | 25 | 17 |
| Kerala | 0 | 0 |
| Tamil Nadu | 0 | 1 |
| Telangana | 4 | * |
*Telangana became a state after the Indian general election of 2014.
*Source: ECI
But this is not a clear picture, or we can say this is half the truth. From independence, BJP’s parent party – the Jansangh had a stronghold in the north but was considered weak in the south.The trend continued with BJP. That's why many people tagged the BJP as a Hindi heartland party or a Hindi Belt party. Identity politics (especiallyDravidian) is more important in South India than nationalism or religious politics. That's why people from south could not be attracted by the BJP's hindutva or nationalistic politics as compared to the north.
Despite all the hurdles, the BJP and Modi are trying hard to manage the south. Continuous visits by the prime minister himself, many development projects for the south, and regular public meetings by the party president. This time BJP has eye's on south like Arjun eye's on fish. Trends of recent elections also show positive signs of an emerging BJP in the south.
Performance of the BJP in theTamil Nadu Assembly Election:
| Year | Assembly Seats Won |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 |
Performance of the BJP in theTamil Nadu Local Body Election:
| Local Body | 2022 | 2011 |
| Municipal Corporation | 22 | 4 |
| Municipality | 56 | 37 |
| Town Panchayats | 230 | 181 |
*Source: ECI
