In an assessment done by BJP in 2023, out of 100 and 30 seats in South BJP has a presence in 29 seats, the bulk of them from Karnataka and around four seats from ten and Ghana.
After the results of the five State Assembly elections came out, and the BJP swept the Hindi-speaking States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, and the Congress won Telangana, Congress leaders put out statements pointing to this divide. During the 2024 Budget session, D.K. Suresh of the Karnataka Congress protested against low levels of tax devolution to southern States, going on to even say that it may persuade southern States to secede from India. On February 7, as Karnataka Congress leaders made their way to Delhi to protest the alleged issue, the BJP made its counter strike on the narrative.
Clearly, the south is neither invincible nor impenetrable for the Hindu Right, though it does offer some challenges that are of a different kind when compared to the other regions of India. Ever since 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre, the party has unleashed an aggressive campaign at multiple levels to win over the rest of the south.
While it is hard to predict when the BJP could emerge to be electorally hegemonic in the south, the right is showing great determination to mobilise voters in every southern State.
Script and Presentation: Nistula Hebbar
Production: Kanishkaa Balachandiran and Yuvasree S
