BJP should wake up to the AAP challenge in Gujarat

The recently concluded five state elections have given two clear indications. One that BJP has maintained its stronghold retaining its all incumbent governments and AAP has learned how to make inroads in new states. Another takeaway is Congress’ complete annihilation and its rigid methods of doing things.

The Congress’ Implosion

The bad days of Congress don’t seem to end shortly. The party has not been jolted by the BJP alone, it has become a punching bag for the allies. Now the time has come to get insulted by their party members. The Gujarat Congress working President Hardik Patel has recently given a statement. While talking to a newspaper he said, “My position in the party is that of a newly married groom who has been made to undergo nasbandi (vasectomy).”

Read More: Meet Congress: The punching bag of its own allies

He also blamed the local party leaders for harassing him and forcing him to leave the party. He was particularly upset with the fact that no action was taken against the state leaders even after stating all his issues to Rahul Gandhi. The Patidar leader has got an offer from the aggressively expanding Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP Gujarat Chief has openly thrown the bait for Hardik Patel to join the party instead of complaining to the Congress party.

BJP vs Congress – A cakewalk

Though there are 8 national parties, only two BJP and Congress have been able to make a national presence in a real sense. Election statistics suggest that BJP has overtaken Congress pan-India. When it comes to head-to-head contests between these two political parties the track record of the saffron party is flawless. According to the India today-Axis, My India post-poll study of 2019 General election BJP won nearly 92% of seats (176/192) where it had a direct fight with the Congress, improving its previous performance of 88% in 2014 (166/189). In state assembly elections, the main challengers to BJP are the regional satraps of the leaders of Congress who have their own vote base but these local congress satraps have been trampled by the party itself.

Read More: Here’s why Central government should think twice before granting any ‘Special Package’ to AAP’s government

AAP’s gameplan

The AAP led by Arvind Kejriwal has been successful in forming its government in Delhi and Punjab. The party within a decade of its formation has done what other regional parties could not. The AAP has shed away the regional party tag with the Punjab victory, which parties like SP, TMC and NCP could not achieve. This has made AAP virtually equivalent to Congress as they have been reduced to only two states now, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. The funny thing is, congress has infighting in both the remaining states as well, involving incumbent CM as one warring faction. But the power centre in AAP is very clear and anyone trying to make a presence felt in the party is sidelined or kicked out, on the party convenor’s dictates.

The AAP is strategically making inroads in only some states at a time and not hesitating from importing leaders from other parties aggressively. Contrary to the Congress party, the AAP has been quick to change some strategies like not attacking PM Modi directly after the Model Code of Conduct kicks in. Unlike the Congress, AAP doesn’t take a pro-muslim stand overtly several times and revert to Soft-Hindutva for the poll duration. Moreover, it has started a new wave of freebie politics without taking care of the fiscal status of the state.

For these obvious aforementioned reasons, the AAP party can not be taken lightly and the saffron party can’t sit complacent in anticipation of a victory. BJP led under the leadership of PM Modi has been focusing on the last mile delivery schemes i.e ‘Antyodaya’ and the welfare of women. The master strategist Amit Shah knows how to stitch social-cohesive voters and with social justice upcoming Gujarat election will be a cakewalk for BJP if it senses this developing situation and accepts the fact that the main challenge in the near future could be AAP, not the Congress.