Amidst whispers of apprehension that the Ram Mandir was not getting "adequate traction" across the country, the BJP appears to be mulling over a strategic move. Speculation is rife that the party is considering the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) before the announcement of the model code of conduct. The West Bengal chief minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee has already warned of an impending CAA and National Register of Citizens(NAC) before the Lok Sabha polls.
This potential move underscores the party's efforts to recalibrate its political agenda and seize the narrative ahead of crucial electoral phases. As the political landscape continues to evolve and the Congress seemed to be firming up alliances after the initial hiccups, the BJP spin doctors were considering options of playing the majoritarian politics loaded with heavy dosage of Hindutva.
It may be recalled that the Union Home Minister, Mr Amit Shah on February 10 went on record saying that the CAA "will be notified and implemented before the Lok Sabha polls." He had asserted: "CAA is an act of the country..It will be notified before the polls. There should be no confusion about it."
Initially the party strategists felt that the CAA could be implemented once the NDA returned to power after the Lok Sabha polls. However, with the internal surveys showing that the Ram Mandir was "not getting the kind of response the party expected", the BJP began taking a hard look at the CAA option. A senior BJP functionary revealed that while the Ram Mandir could "benefit the party immensely" in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, reports from Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and southern states were "not encouraging." The functionary claimed that Ram Mandir "might not be enough" to accomplish the target of 370 of the 540 Lok Sabha seats.
On Monday, the West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee claimed that the Aadhaar cards of residents of the state were being "de-activated" as a precursor to enforcing the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NAC).
The CAA, which became law in December 2019, aims to provide citizenship to persecuted refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 to grant eligibility for Indian citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian illegal migrants from these countries. It was pointed out that for the first time, religion was being made a criterion for citizenship.
The clamour over the majoritarian agenda was increasing in the saffron camp, as reports emanating from across the country indicated that "unemployment" was emerging as a major concern among people. Reports stated that despite giving adequate subsidies to boost manufacturing, the "unemployment rose to 5.4 percent in 2022-23-up from 4.9 percent in 2013-14."
A Lokniti-CSDS survey indicated that while 42 percent of Indians felt that economically "nothing has changed", 22 percent believed that the conditions have "worsened." The biggest concern among the people last year remained "unemployment" as compared to corruption and price rise. The survey further indicated that last year, 60 percent of Indians claimed that total household income was "not enough" to fulfill the needs and that they were finding it difficult as compared to 50 percent in 2019.