Will Ram temple Become a Ram Bhan for BJP in 2024
Omkar Dattatray
Since the magnificent and grand temple of Purshottam Mariyada Bhagwan Shri Ram will be completed by September 2023 and it will be inaugurated by Prime minister Narendra Modi with its Pran Pratishta in January 2024 in itself is very crucial and important politically .The pertinent question arises whether the Ram Mandir will prove to be the magic wand , a Ram Bhan and panacea for the BJP for its electoral battle in general elections in 2024 is the million dollar question .Since Ram temple will be completed before January 2024 and thus the moot question arises will it be an election issue and BJP’s electoral agenda in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections? .
In fact the Ram temple will remain an issue of polls to the BJP in run up to the elections as the BJP will again milk the issue of Ram temple and the important issue related with the sentiments and emotions of the 140 crore people of this country .The fact is that Ram temple will continue to be an election issue which the BJP and it is going to impact and influence the outcome of the election results in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and therefore it will tilt the balance of the poll results in favor of the saffron party along with BJP’s pet theme and agenda of Hindutva which distinguishes this party from other political parties .It is true that Ram temple opening timed perfectly for BJP’s 2024 poll campaign .
The excitement around the Ram Janamaboomi agitation benefitted the BJP and now it is time for the final result .Even before poll dates would be announced ,the nation would see huge euphoria when Ram temple would be unveiled in Ajodhya in January 2024 .Of course the Ram temple has been the life and soul of BJP’s politics since it came into being in 1980.will the Ram temple would again be an issue in 2024 Lok Sabha elections too? Will the BJP reap the fruits of construction of Ram temple ? This question is rife in the air .The timing of the opening of Ram temple is such planned that it will definitely result in political dividends to the saffron right wing Hindutva party and thus there are no two opinions about BJP gaining electorally with the opening of the Ram temple in January 2024.
Even otherwise it is the BJP which is taking credit for the construction of grand Ram temple at the birth place of shri Ram at Ajodhya .In any way the construction and now the opening of the Ram temple for public darshan will definitely translate into solid votes to the BJP in the general elections of 2024 and there is no controversy over it .The timing of the inauguration and opening of the Ram temple has been planned and fixed as such to help and benefit the BJP in the elections .The BJP is going to be politically benefitted by the timing of the opening of the Ram temple to the devotees .The sentiments and religious feelings of crores of the countrymen are linked and associated with the sensitive religious- political issue that it is going to tilt the balance in favor of the BJP in 2024 general polls.
’’The Ram temple will go beyond the symbolism of a Hindu deity to signal a larger message of cohesion and cultural synthesis .It is social engineering through invoking divinity.”Thirty five years after the Shilanyas ,Ayodhya awaits the grand opening of the Ram temple after a series of legal and political battles .The temple is expected to open on Makarsankranti next January ,ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections .Nirpendra Misra ,chairman of the Ram temple construction committee ,said that by December 31 this year ,the grabh griha of the temple will be complete and Ram Lalla’s idol would be moved to his permanent abode .
The opening of the Ram temple will be key element in BJP’s narrative for its 2024 campaign.PM Modi ,the prime mover behind the building of the temple ,is likely to be main beneficiary of the public sentiment built around the religious issue .The Modi government has delivered on two of its ideological promises ahead of the elections –building of Ram temple and removal of article 370 .The temple will find resonance in Hindi speaking states which have remained the saffron party’s core support base .The new temple could also attract voters from the southern states ,especially on cultural and spiritual fronts ,by creating newer linkages for social integration .
The issue of the opening the Ram temple will find its resonance and reverberate during assembly campaigns in heartland states like Rajasthan ,Chhattisgarh and MP which go to polls later this year .Elections are due in Karnataka and Telangana too ,and BJP hopes the issue will work here as well .During the election campaign in Tripura earlier this year ,union Home minister Amit Shah invoked building the Ram temple while attacking opposition .The BJP performed well in the state and retained power .T he excitement around the Ram Janambhoomi agitation benefitted the BJP and now it is the time for its final result .Whatever the party promised ,it delivered .The BJP will benefit from temple construction and also when it is opened to public .
The BJP will bring the temple into its campaign in an organized manner .Even if it displays picture of the complete temple ,it will impact Hindu mind .The main impact will be felt in Hindi-speaking states ,but it will not be limited to these areas only. The people in the South are also religious ,they may vote for regional parties but they look up to the temple and thus it will have the impact .Modi will be the sole beneficiary .
The Ram temple will go beyond the symbolism of a Hindu deity to signal a larger message of cohesion and cultural synthesis .It is social engineering through invoking divinity .Based on Modi’s suggestion ,the temple complex will have seven new temples dedicated to key characters in the Ramayan —Maharashi Valmiki ,Sabri ,Nishad Raj,Acharya Vashisht,Rishi Vishwamitra,Ahlaya,and Agastmuni—who are revered by different castes and communities and in a diverse geographical region .Similarly Modi’s idea to link the Ram temple with the South through the use of gopurams –an architectural element found in temple in South India aims to bring visual and cultural synchronization across geographies.BJP is set to invoke the cultural linkages with the new temple as the building materials are sourced from many of the poll bound states .The BJP knows that development alone does not win the polls .
Often an emotive issue is also required .The party realized it after its loss in the 2004 elections ,despite the India Shining slogan .When L.K.Advani became the BJP president the third time ,he said the party was wrong in assuming a direct correlation between good governance and electoral outcome. ’’In the BJP’’s voyage from fringe to centre of the political stage ,we aroused many expectations some extremely emotive .We were unable to fulfill some of those .The construction of Ram temple was one such issue. ’’The Ram temple is not a political issue for the BJP .It is one of its commitments .The identity of Ram and what he stands for is part of India’s proud civilization heritage .
Apart from religious point of view ,Ram temple has economic value as well because lakhs of tourists and pilgrims will visit the temple and it will thus be a big source of income for all those associated with pilgrim tourism .To conclude it can be said that surely opening and dedication of the Ram temple to public is timed such that it will impact and influence the election results in favor of the BJP and there are no two views about it.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
