Hindu Vote Bank Vs Hindu Polarisation: Dissecting 2019 Mandate

“Multiple factors led to the BJP’s win. In this case it was Balakot, Hindutva, welfare schemes and the media.”

(L-R) Rahul Gandhi, Hilal Ahmed, Narendra Modi

Photo altered by The Quint

As the mandate for 2019 Lok Sabha polls becomes clear, Assistant Professor for the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) clarifies that there is a need to distinguish between “Hindu vote bank and Hindu polarisation,” a strategy that he believes worked for the BJP.

“This isn’t vote bank politics, this is polarisation politics,” says Ahmed.

He adds that during 2019 elections, Hindutva politics was practiced even more than it was in 2014.

“It’ll be interesting to observe how the BJP behaves with Muslims after this mandate. We must not forget that during his campaign, Amit Shah raised the issue of citizenship and that is a crucial question. If that becomes the issue, then it’s clear that in this country, it will be legally said this is the Hindus’ motherland and those (Hindus) living in neighbouring Muslim countries have just as much right over it.”

Hilal Ahmed, Assistant Professor, CSDS 

Ahmed believes multiple factors contributed to the BJP’s landslide victory. This included the Balakot air strikes, the Hindutva factor and welfare schemes. But the media, including social media, he feels played a very important role.

The CSDS professor also said that every party played a role in spreading an anti-Muslim discourse.

“Suppose the Congress had won this time, would the anti-Muslim discourse have ended? That wouldn’t have happened. The condition has not changed in the states where Congress had won in Assembly elections. It’s wrong to just blame BJP, every party is responsible.”

Hilal Ahmed, Assistant Professor, CSDS