10

Jan

Chadar Politics and BJP Poll Prospects in Delhi

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A person with white hair and glasses Description automatically generatedSending a ceremonial chadar (offering) every year  to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the occasion of the 831st Urs of the great Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizammudin Auliya, by the Prime Ministers is an old tradition. However, it has been given publicity as a big event this year perhaps to show the secular credentials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP’s political opponents are saying that this has been done in view of the Delhi Assembly elections next month and the party’s all-out effort to unseat Arvind Kajeriwal’s Aam Admi Party government from power.

The question is if the  Chadar politics ,as it has been nick-named by BJP’s opponents, will Muslim voters and uncommitted liberal sections of society to vote for Modi’s party. With elections four weeks away it is difficult to assess at this stage if the Chadar politics will work in favour of BJP or not.     

 I personally believe it will not have much of a political impact because the Muslim voters in Delhi are politically more conscious compared to the voters of U.P., Bihar and other states and they are unlikely to be swayed by this election-necessitated gaster of Prime Minister Modi. They will either vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the Congress. Moreover, they are likely to vote in bloc for either party so that their vote split does not help BJP. Therefore, sending a senior Cabinet Minister with the chadar  to Ajmer Sharif Dargah is unlikely to give any electoral dividends to the BJP. If Prime Minister  Modi  and his advisors are under the impression that this move could change voter behaviour, they are mistaken.

 

Column at a Glance
The tradition of sending a ceremonial chadar to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah during the Urs of Nizamuddin Aulia has been highlighted this year, possibly to showcase Prime Minister Narendra Modi's secular credentials ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections. Critics label this as "Chadar politics," questioning whether it will sway Muslim voters and liberal sections towards the BJP.
Friday Fuss
By Pradeep Mathur
However, many believe that politically conscious Muslim voters in Delhi are unlikely to be influenced by this gesture, favoring the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or Congress instead. The BJP's strategy appears to be shifting, acknowledging the importance of minority support, especially after recent electoral setbacks. Despite these efforts, the impact of such gestures on voter behavior remains uncertain, and the upcoming elections are expected to be challenging for both the BJP and AAP, with Congress also vying for a comeback.

 

However, this gesture shows a certain change in BJP’s election strategy as witness in the past 10 years. Moreover, it also betrays a certain degree of nervousness. Earlier, the BJP leaders use to say that they do not need Muslim votes because 80% of the country's population is Hindu, and Hindus will overwhelmingly vote for their party. Their thought process was that not getting Muslim votes wouldn’t make a difference on their poll prospects. But perhaps  now they  realize that the situation has changed and support from every quarter is  important.

But let us  make no mistake. The act of sending this chadar does not mean a change of heart in Prime Minister  Modi and his Hindutav tribe. It  is just  a strategic move for damage control after what has recently happened in the BJP-riled states of U.P., Maharashtra and Manipur in the year just gone by.  Modi background  shows no particular affinity toward Muslims. Now, as the electoral landscape is  changing he is being forced to project his secular credentials. The chadar is a point in the case.

This  can be seen in the context of  Mohan Bhagwat's recent statements which have come under criticism by hard-core Hindu fundamentalists of the saffron brigade. Bhagwat’s statement not to seek a mandir beneath every mosque is not a criticism of the Modi-led party as is being interpreted by certain political observers. Rather it is a move to help Prime Minister Modi and his associates.   These gestures indicate that the BJP is trying to balance its political stance and make inroads in  minority communities and non-hard core Hindus to strengthen its electoral prospects.

It is difficult to say  what  impact the  internal thinking and the strategic moves of the Sangh Parivar  will have on the elections . However, one thing can be said without fear of contradiction that the Delhi elections are  not an easy cup of tea  for either  the BJP or the Aam Adami Party .With the Congress making a determined bid to regain some of its lost ground only time will tell which way the wind blows.

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