Why BJP lost Elections 2009

Blowing your own Trumpet     
The BJP led NDA government did some excellent work but leaders did not talk about it:

• The 1998 Nuclear tests marked a turning point in India’s post independence history and compelled the world to look at her differently.
• Yashwant Sinha inherited a difficult fiscal situation after Chidambaram’s dream budget of 1997 but left GOI finances in a healthy situation in 2004. The fiscal deficit for March 2009 could be as high as 7-8% of GDP. As Foreign Minister Mr. Sinha was the first to urge Indian industrialists to become outward looking and acquire foreign companies abroad, rather than focus on the domestic market only. The number of acquisitions in the last 5 years proves that the advice was seriously taken.
• The NDA government conceived the project to convert/strengthen existing national highways to four-laned ones and followed it up with quick progress on National Highway Development Program. Their contribution is widely acknowledged across the political spectrum. The UPA record on NHDP was dismal; the BJP SS government conceived and implemented India’s first expressway from Mumbai to Pune.
• After Sukh Ram’s disastrous stint in the telecom ministry, Arun Shourie oversaw the creation of a regulatory framework for telecom companies. 

The BJP could have used its past performance and medium term vision to communicate a clear message to the voting public. It did not use plain statistics to criticize the Congress. It could have made presentations to the public at amongst others, Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai (remember Palkiwala’s talks) and Ram Lila grounds in Delhi. It could have promised Hindus a level playing field in all areas that do not concern Muslims or Christians, thereby avoiding conflict.

Somehow one got the feeling that the BJP had not kept a detailed record of the UPA regime’s misdeeds. Collection, analysis and dissemination of the UPA government performance should start now and be regularly done for the next five years.

The BJP has to decide what it stands for and then live with it through thick and thin. It cannot keep oscillating like a pendulum. All along it opposed the Nuclear Deal with the US, then suddenly during the elections it changed tack and said it would not renegotiate the deal if voted to power. Where was the need for this statement considering that the nuclear deal was a non issue? (Read HSBC Global Research report titled ‘India Nuclear Power’ dated 12 March 2009 to know why nuclear power is a non-starter).

The BJP must realize who its principal opponents are. Besides the Congress it must reach out directly to the people to overcome biased reporting by sections of the media. A short to long term strategic plan needs to be designed accordingly. Execution is key.

Also read –
1.    The BJP got what it deserved by Radha Rajan Click Here

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