Why Bhartiya Janta Party Lost the 2009 General Elections!
2009
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Rishabh Srivastava - Profile
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Elections, Leadership, Politics, Society, Youth
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BJP, Elections, LK Advani, Parliament, Politics, Society, Youth
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THE ELECTION results are the swansong for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s iron man LK Advani. His dream to become India’s Prime Minister remains a dream and I don’t think he will get the next chance. But the verdict has taken the country by surprise.
Everyone predicted a close contest between the BJP and the Congress but the difference of more than 80 seats is astonishing. I, as a young voter, feel that the BJP lost because of the following reasons:
1. The BJP failed in its role as a constructive opposition. It opposed each and every policy of the government. It opposed just for the sake of opposition. Take, for instance, the stance taken by the party during the nuke deal. It leaders vehemently opposed it. Rahul Gandhi went on stretch to explain the benefits of the deal to the common people but the BJP failed to listen. And just few days before polling, Advani said that his government won’t scrap the deal! This shows that the BJP was not sure of its stance.
After the Parliament attack in 2001, the Congress lent the full support to the NDA government to fight terrorism. On the other hand, after Mumbai attacks, the BJP kept on criticizing the UPA for its failure to stop the attacks. Criticism was required but not the type which the BJP displayed. It showed its sheer opportunism and not the real will to focus on the solution of the problem.
2. The website of the BJP has details of the party manifesto. While reading that I was impressed by few of the real good points. The party’s IT vision was also very well received by the Indian IT companies. But somewhere I felt that the BJP failed to make the people aware of their vision and manifesto while addressing the citizens. They were not able to make people aware of the same.
3. The BJP failed to capitalize on the weak points of the UPA government which mainly included agriculture and internal security. Its leaders were themselves found napping when the Kandhar issue was raised. They failed to come up positively on these two issues.
4. Frankly speaking, Advani was not perceived the “Majboot Neta”. He might be the Iron Man for the BJP but not for the country. His past track record proves that (comments on Jinnah, Kandhar, etc). He was unable to match the intellectual level of Dr Manmohan Singh. Instead of debating how the BJP would change the face of India most of the time he attacked the UPA and its leaders. He attacked Dr Singh throughout instead of his policies which did not augur well among the voters who hold great respect for Dr Singh.
Moreover, there have been so many splits within the party which made voters confused about the party.
The BJP also had no charismatic youth leader within its ranks. It had no one to engage Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and so forth? That too, when more than half the electorate was young.
The Congress mainly won on the ability of Dr Singh and youthfulness of Rahul Gandhi. The BJP lacked both. They have same old faces which have been around for decades. It will not be wrong to say that LK Advani lacked the magnetism and statesmanship of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
5. There has been a saying that the way to Delhi passes through Uttar Pradesh. Sadly, the BJP has ignored the state for the long time and failed to have any clear-cut strategy for the state this time as well. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi devised the new strategy and took decision to go all alone in UP. The move which has paid off heavily for the Congress while the BJP continued to lose its base in the state. The party won more than 50 seats in the 1999 elections but has failed miserably after that.
The BJP needs to do some serious introspection before seeking power in the year 2014.
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Nice read….
Infact, Congress has a lot of intellectuals like Mr. Manmohan, P. Chidambaram, Montek Singh & their latest Shashi Tharoor………no intelluctuals of this level w/ BJP…..
Since India is “young”, every party with a desire to survive must cater to this demographic. Sadly the youth issues never got a mention. Here are a couple issues that need to be adressed:
1. Physical fitness- every citizen must be able to walk 5km without exhausting. India is on the verge of being the diabetes and heart disease capital of the world, within a single generation. How many of us are fitter than our parents or even our grandparents RIGHT NOW? This must start at school.
2. Life skills- Students, especially future engg ones, are told to exclusively focus on studies. Private players ensure kids as young as 13 have no free time. Once on their own the fun starts. Rising number of divorces, rising cases beating-up of children by parents are proof. Not mention the EMI burden.
Nice Post. BJP got what they deserved this time. I strongly agree with Jesvin’s comment. Every Indian should be physically fit.
my mind had thought of three of these points posted here before the blog..however,one more point would be this…
” BJP didn’t win for another reason..they’re the last party the minorities would prefer.the entire ‘Hindutva’ concept has been blown out of proportion by both the party members themselves and the media.Varun Gandhi for example..making such derogatory comments..felt like punching him in the face.wish i could do that..!”
the reason is simple..
KNOWN DEVIL IS BETTER THAN AN UNKNOWN EVIL…
with BJP coming to power again with issues of ram temple, ratha yatra, y to take risk on india’s secularism??
its better to opt for singh!!
I agree with u guys in some points. But I must tell you that The so called Seculars parties like UPA plays more religion & castesim card making BJP a scape goat. Congress is the most corrupted party in Indian History. If you guys have noticed that this election’s avg. vote was least. You know why? Majority of the middle class people have not gone Vote even including me who want to see BJP in centre. There is no policy for Middle class of India. Please don’t give any foolish reasoning.
). Don’t give useless reasoning that they r not able to do it as Left was there. Vajpayee did it with a fragile coaltion party which was a milestone for any PM in indian history. Congress only concentrate when come into power how to increase seat in next election.
I can see this how kalmadi won in Pune?? How they took people of slums to vote for congress. This is the same thing all India. Below poverty line & so called minority votes turned to them. After the elections of 2004, I concluded that People of India just need sympathy which congress is good at that. They do not want Development. And Give me one good thing congress did in last 5 years apart from 123 Pact (which was introduced by vajpayee
Forget every thing.. I just want to ask all you UPA followers just one thing. Give ample amount for reasoning for 60/5 i.e 60 congress & 5 BJP. And if you guys r very upset over Varuns remark (evn I m also) bt there r many hate speeches given open by so called minorities. Why the media or leaders opposes or lashes them ?????????????? They put NSA on Varun. What & whom they want to appease????????
even afzal guru do not get NSA??????????????
The concept of Hindutva is manipulated by the so called pretentious seculars. If some day I call proud to be hindu then my secularism is Questioned. This really pissed me off and dividing India. Tell u.
1.They developed the infrastructure of the country.
2. IT was introduced my Late Rajeev Gandhi but Vajpayee govt. enhanced it as fastest as no body can believe.
3. The metro rail project in delhi was brought by My vajpayee but congress capabilities it.
3. roads, highways, bridges….
there is ample amount to things I can say. This 60/5 is enough to shut mouth of so called seculars.
I m just happy that One Party come into power i.e Congress which is good for India.
Now, I would like to see wat they gonna do.
now they have to prove 65/5 (years) on next 2014 elections. As 5+ years for congress govt.
Expectations from Congress govt.
http://iankits.blogspot.com/2009/05/expectation-from-new-upa-goverment.html
I would like to ask secular “Pooja B Voladoddi” about secularism she pratices. Varun Gandhi made some remarks which were not received well by the media. I have not listened to the speech, so don’t want to comment on it.
Remember what Karundanidhi said – “Who is this Ram? In which engineering college did he study that he built the Ram Setu?” Isn’t this more derogatory than what Varun Gandhi said?
Pooja, think beyond what is shown in the media. Our Media is biased. If you just go by them, you would never be able to think impartially.
@Ankit
I agree with you that the rule of NDA was when the big infrastructure projects/telecom revolution took place. Vajpayeeji was the top stature leader. But sadly there is no visible leader like him in the current BJP. The party needs to develop some leaders which are acceptable to majority.
There is biasing in Indian media…the communal and secularism words are very confusing in media…..There are double standards followed…. i have mentioned this in my other post how media downplayed the comments of Congress leader in a rally at Chandigarh and one other in Andhra Pradesh…….. People need to open up and see beyond what media tells……
As far as BJP coming to center….. they need to revamp the party…..as mentioned in one more post here……moreover they will have to find ways to create awareness and ensure that the middle class gets vote…. the day voting % will increase 65-70 throughout…..we will get good governance….
Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since I’m more of a visual learner.
BJP lost because of their cruel intentions of wiping out Muslims from India , they only can play the religion politics and nothing else. They are the ones who really provoke the hatred message against all other religion. They can’t think of Secularism. They need to kill each and every Muslim , Sikh , Christian. And this is the reason behind the terrorism which have been spread in all over India.