Dramatic Change In Bharatiya Politics Will See Return Of Mandal Politics And Social Justice Ideals

Paromita Das

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 7th June. A dramatic change in Bharatiya politics is predicted by the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, which will see the return of Mandal politics and social justice ideals. In certain regions of Bharat, this election has revealed a shift from the BJP’s strategy, which has dominated the previous ten years. A narrative that many saw as becoming more and more hegemonistic has been restrained by the electorate’s shift toward parties that support economic justice and fair representation. The BJP’s tactics in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the previous ten years have been essential to its national consolidation. The 2024 results, however, show a shift, especially in UP.

Voters turned away from the BJP’s rhetoric in favor of more urgent issues including joblessness, the cost of necessities growing, and the diminution of rights. The INDIA group, including the opposition, took advantage of this chance. The alliance, led by the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, promoted a social justice agenda that seemed to find support among the general public. Their campaigns promoted fair representation by including a considerable number of OBC, Dalit, and minority leaders in their lists of candidates, and they emphasised the need for a caste census to ensure equal welfare distribution. The success of the SP was largely attributed to its attention on the ‘PDA’ (Pichhda, Dalits, and Alpsankhyak).

By focusing on a wider range of voters, the INDIA alliance was able to win 44 of the 80 seats in the state, proving that inclusive politics could successfully refute the BJP’s narrative. Their success was largely due to their strategy shift from a more broad coalition to a more limited “MY” (Muslim-Yadav) orientation.

The INDIA bloc’s efforts produced a more competitive contest, demonstrating their capacity to present a significant challenge by forming wide-ranging social coalitions, even if the NDA still held a majority. In addition to these core states, the INDIA bloc achieved notable progress in areas such as Rajasthan and Haryana. Partnerships with the Left, the Bharat Adivasi Party, and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party in Rajasthan as well as the Haryana coalition proved fruitful.

These achievements highlight how crucial it is to form varied social alliances in order to challenge the BJP’s hegemony. The outcome of the 2024 election proves that social justice is still important in Bharatiya politics. In addition to helping them regain lost ground, the opposition’s capacity to confront economic inequities and guarantee equitable representation has established them as serious competitors.

The results of this election have shown that social alliances are still a powerful force in determining Bharat’s political dynamics and that the voter prefers serious issues to divisive rhetoric. A few takeaways from this election war become apparent when the dust settles. Voters can be won over by parties that support social justice, tackle the economic problems facing the public, and promote inclusivity. In fact, the revival of Mandal politics, with its focus on equitable representation and economic justice, has reshaped the characteristics of Bharatiya democracy. However, the Opposition still has a long way to go if it hopes to build on these victories.