Since two days in all English news channels, we have been seeing different stories on AAP'S win and also the decimation of national parties like BJP& Congress .Even before the declaration of elections with the exit polls coming out heavily in favor of AAP, The fate of BJP was a foregone conclusion. To me however, this election was most thrilling one after Lok Sabha elections. While it is a huge setback for BJP which had deployed all its might and declaring MrsKiran Bedi as CM candidate, mudslinging of Arvind Kejriwal and indulging in murky advertisement campaign with five questions etc have certainly gone against BJP. Not only that, it is proved beyond doubt that elections could also be won without money power or individual charisma.
Yesterday, in one of the Telugu news channel a program “Wide Angle” was aired. There has been an excellent narration on how AAP managed the voters. There seemed to be a sharp polarisation of minorities mainly Muslims, which is supposed to constitute 11% of Delhi voters, even Dalits also seems to have voted for AAP in large numbers, while it seems Punjabis remained with BJP.
Symbolically, therefore I am sure; this defeat of BJP will certainly boost the morale opposition leaders and it is also a fact that the rout should mean much more than a loss for BJP and to my little understanding of the situation after reading some news papers and to different group discussions in news channels, I have come to the conclusion that the BJP had made few glaring mistakes, like delaying in declaration of polls whereas the elections should have been held with the three states where it had won, and waging of personal attacks on Kejriwal by none other than Mr.Modi while bringing Mrs Kiran Bedi into the party fold at the last minute and as a last resort and all that which had back fired.
One question being raised by many is, is it a referendum on Modi? Strictly speaking it can never be considered like that in normal parlance, as it is only an election of small union territory. But here it is his own making as Mr Modi said that whatever happens in Delhi it reflects the national mood and he has invested his personal prestige while indulging in verbal onslaught on Kejriwal which I personally feel, is unbecoming of a PM, whatever it is worth even now I would say that he is not unpopular.
Now it is for the BJP to make thorough introspection with regards to its political strategy, ticket distribution, including its organizational health, while for other parties this has resulted in relief and hope in equal measure and for the 120 year grand old party, it is only getting endangered though it may take a comfort in the decimation of BJP in Delhi assembly. But it has hung its head in shame as repeated demonstration that parties other than congress can defeat BJP will be a bad news for this grand old party. The fact of the matter is even in the last Loksabha elections when the Modi wave swept the congress away regional leaders like Mamta Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, Jayalalitha stood the ground.
As such, now it is high time that all the so called national parties to do a thorough SWOT analysis and for the congress alone I would say, it long overdue and overhaul it requires from top to bottom if it wants any existence, otherwise its decimation is destined.
