‘Overconfidence killed BJP’: Political analyst Sanjay Kumar on Modi, Hindutva, polls

The Lok Sabha poll results stunned most spectators, with the BJP falling short of the majority mark despite its clarion call for over 400 seats. So what went wrong? How did the INDIA bloc parties engineer their revival?    

Sanjay Kumar, director of Lokniti CSDS, has been tracking and analysing Indian politics for decades. In this conversation with Newslaundry, Kumar delved into the factors that led to the BJP’s decline, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. 

The political analyst shared his insights on the caste dynamics at play in the elections, the Modi factor, consensus among people, and the triggers behind the BJP’s setback. “Prime Minister Modi’s magic is still intact…but there has been a decline in his ability to pull votes for the BJP.”     

Kumar said the “narrative of Hindutva” didn’t work and that “overconfidence has killed the BJP”, while the opposition’s rhetoric to “save the constitution” struck a chord with the people.    

Watch.  

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