The Prime Minister of the country engaging the minority and marginalised communities on the occasion of their festivals, giving a pep talk and making them feel very much a part of the nation’s agenda are a sign of an inclusive approach and hence Mr Narendra Modi’s outreach to the Christian community leaders at his official residence on Christmas Day is commendable. BJP leaders in several states took the cue to visit Christian homes and exchange pleasantries.
However, it cannot be said that the statistically insignificant Christian community will add a substantial number of votes to the BJP’s kitty during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in which the party targets 50 per cent of the national vote share. It also cannot be said that the BJP has decided to drop its charge against its opponents that they pursue a policy of minority appeasement, for the Prime Minister has not resumed the practice of hosting or even attending Iftar parties during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. Nor can it be said that the BJP has discovered that “the veil of secularism” can win elections. It may be noted that Christian votes are decisive in Kerala and the Northeast states where the new bonhomie is unlikely to effect a major change in the existing electoral arithmetic.
The Christian community is peeved with the Union government and the BJP for many reasons, and the failure to act decisively in Manipur to end the ethnic clashes there in which tribesmen following the faith suffered the worst is the newest of these. A tilt by the community towards the saffron side will actually benefit the BJP as its campaign theme that India’s ills can be traced to “Muslim appeasement” by “pseudo-secular” parties will gain more traction within its own core voter base. Reports suggest that the BJP has set a target of garnering 80 per cent of the Hindu vote in the next elections. It remains to be seen if the Christians will say amen to play the catalyst.
