‘BJP will hold pole position in the medium term’

AAP spokesperson Yogendra Yadav said on Tuesday the BJP is likely to dominate the political spectrum in the medium term. This will mostly come at the expense of the Congress, he said.

“The Congress is likely to shrink further in the middle term, say the next three to five years. This could trigger a major re-alignment in Indian politics, with the BJP taking the pole position,” the political-analyst-turned-politician said at interaction with the media here.

The Lok Sabha and the recently concluded State Assembly election results were a landmark in Indian politics despite the relatively low overall vote share of the BJP.

Explaining the conditions that led to the rise of the BJP, Yadav said it has been observed that every political party has a honeymoon period of about three years after which its descent begins, but in the case of the UPA, the onset of honeymoon was delayed due to its unexpected win in 2004.

Just after the UPA-II assumed power in 2009, its descent began and the fall continued as a result of the anti-corruption movement. This provided an ideal platform for the BJP to take centre-stage, he added.

Three anxieties Explaining the BJP victory, the AAP leader pinned it down to three key “anxieties”.

There was a widespread feeling that the country needed a strong leader, needed growth and development “at all costs” and the overwhelming feeling among the majority community to assert themselves. “Such anxieties and the astute political machinery led by Amit Shah brought victory to the BJP.”

He also predicted that there will be some space for alternative political parties that could emerge at the expense of the Congress.

This alternative party, Yadav said, will have to turn to the idea of a democratic and secular India.

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