Major reasons for the defeat of the NDA in 2004 were: 1) Arrogance of power, which enveloped its younger and even some of the older leaders. They were totally cut off from the people living in the slums and rural areas. 2) Then there was the slogan of India Shining and the projection of the feel good factor. Flaunting of a few lakhs of new employment in the IT sector, and ignoring the millions of unemployed by throwing open the market to foreign corporations could hardly endear the BJP to the poor voter. 3) The adverse impact of the economic reforms on the poor cost the NDA dearly. 4) objecting to its proposition that a natural born citizen alone should be the Prime Minister of this country, and for this it has the support of the Constitution of the United States. The BJP had made this a core issue in the election but with no success. 5) The BJPs contempt for the average citizen and hostility for the minorities was so manifest that it flaunted Narendra Modi as its election mascot notwithstanding the low level of his speeches and, more important, ignoring the trenchant indictment by the Supreme Court of the collusion of the State machinery in the Gujarat carnage in the Best Bakery case. This was so significant that the BJP and its allies lost 12 out of the 26 seats in the State. 6) Massive anti-NDA voting by Muslims due to 2002 Gujarat riots. NDA lost heavily in states with more than 10% Muslim population - UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand & Delhi . With BJPs limited political base, not having a presence in more than half of India, such loss of seats can not be made up elsewhere. 7). A sequence of corruption scandals rocked NDA regime (that too without RTI Act): Tehelka (BJP President was caught on camera taking bribe), UTI/US64 (Rs 25,000 crores were lost by small investors), Balco sale scam, Kargil coffin scam, Petrol pump scam etc. Then, BJP looked more corrupt than Congress. 8) Kandahar Hijack, made BJP looked no different from Congress on terrorism. Furthermore, nuclear tests, resulted in Pakistan being a declared nuclear state. As a consequence, for 10 months Indian army was on the border but could not cross it, people felt humiliated by this. 9). Losses of NDA Allies was severe, complete wipeout of TDP and AIADMK due to regional factors, those lost 70 seats went directly to UPA.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 09:32:34 +0000
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