Indian Politics & Policy Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2020 | Page 11

Introduction
There are reasons for the BJP to
celebrate its 2019 victory. At the moment,
the party enjoys enormous popular
support, but the BJP would be
making a mistake if it failed to recognize
that some proportion of the votes
it received is critical, which could swing
away from the party if the government
fails to address the economic issues of
regular people. The BJP benefitted from
the anti-incumbency mood of the voters
against Congress, which was the
ruling party in many states between
2014 and 2019. That five-year cycle is
over now and in many states, the BJP is
the ruling party and there is no anti-incumbency
against Congress in these
states. The BJP’s performance in various
state assembly elections held after
the 2019 Lok Sabha elections (Haryana,
Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi) is
a testimony to the BJP’s vulnerability if
it fails to perform on the economic front
or when it up against a strong regional
party or against a formidable state-level
leader.
Notes
1 UPA is an alliance of eleven political parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Led by Congress,
its members were Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Nationalist Congress
Party, Janata Dal (Secular), the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha,
the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Hindustani Awam Morcha, the Vikassheel Insaan
Party, the Communist Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League, the Jan Adhikar Party,
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajantantrik), Swabhimani Paksha,
Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation,
Kerala Congress (M), the Revolutionary Socialist Party, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi,
Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Jammu & Kashmir
National Conference, Navaneet Kaur (independent candidate supported by Congress in Amravati,
Maharashtra), Lalnghinglova Hmar (independent candidate supported by Congress
in Mizoram), and Surendra Kumar Gupta (independent candidate supported by Congress in
Pilibhit, UP).
2 Lok Sabha is composed of the representatives of people elected through direct election on the
basis of adult suffrage. It is the Lower House of the Parliament and is made of Ministers of
Parliament (MPs). It has 345 seats, and MPs for each seat are elected for a term of five years.
The winning party appoints the leader of the Lok Sabha, who is the Prime Minister.
3 BSP was formed in 1984 by the Kanshi Ram. The main objective of the party was to advocate
for Dalits and backward classes and work for the betterment of downtrodden and marginalized
communities. The BSP had made ground in UP by creating a support base among Dalits,
Muslims, and those from most backward classes. The party ran for the first time in the state
assembly election in UP in 1989 and won thirteen seats out of 425. In the 2007 state assembly
election, the party won 206 seats, with 30.43 percent of the votes, and formed the government.
The party is influential in UP, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
4 SP is a social base party, representing backward castes and Muslims in UP. The party was
founded by the Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1992 with the support of backward and Muslim
leaders. The party ran in the 1993 state assembly election, winning 109 seats with 17.9 percent
of the votes. In the 2012 state assembly election, the party gained an absolute majority in the
election.
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