Ram Mandir Opening: Can BJP Leverage It to Divide Opposition?

In addition to bolstering the party's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, BJP strategists think that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opening of the Ram temple later this month may end up creating a rift within the Opposition INDIA bloc.

It has been reported that the BJP leadership has devised a complex strategy to leverage the inauguration for political gain, which involves creating a horde of "temple influencers" in each Lok Sabha seat. Party managers, however, are now positive that the opposition leaders, with their differing perspectives, have the potential to be "bigger influencers."

A BJP general secretary expressed happiness that the leaders of the INDIA bloc were indecisive about accepting the invitation, saying, "The invitation to Opposition party leaders to attend the consecration ceremony seems to have set the proverbial cat among the pigeons."

In the lead-up to the consecration ceremony on January 22, this BJP leader predicted that the Opposition bloc's divisions would deepen and expressed hope that the event would benefit the party politically. He claimed that by making statements in favor of and against attending the consecration ceremony, the opposition leaders were merely assisting in the transformation of the Ram temple into a potent political symbol.

While other INDIA bloc partners have been speaking in different voices, the Congress has not yet made an official announcement regarding its attendance at the Ayodhya event, giving the impression that it is stuck in a bind.

The ruling alliance partner RJD has not yet made up its mind, but Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU, a significant member of INDIA, has clearly stated that it will attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony.

"If invited, JDU will undoubtedly attend. Following the party's national executive meeting, JDU general secretary K.C. Tyagi stated, "The consecration ceremony of Lord Ram is a matter of pride for all Indians and no politics should be done over it since Ram belongs to all and not only the BJP."

Nitish will probably get an invitation to the temple opening ceremony now that he has been elected JDU chief. Should he depart, discussions about a potential realignment with the BJP in advance of the Lok Sabha elections would resurface.

In Bihar, the BJP is desperate to sever ties with the Grand Alliance that is in power. Insiders in the party think that disagreements between the JDU and the RJD may be sparked by the Ram temple.

The main opposition Samajwadi Party is also caught in a Catch-22 in the biggest state, Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav's wife, Dimple Yadav, recently declared that she would unquestionably travel to Ayodhya on January 22 if invited. Later on, Akhilesh tried to avoid giving a direct response.

When asked, he responded, "Will go (to the temple) whenever God wants me," raising concerns that going could alienate the party's Muslim support base.

The BJP leadership, for its part, has devised a scheme to take full advantage of the Ram temple controversy. Modi was present at the recent party office-bearers' meeting, where the topic was covered.

Following the inauguration on January 22, the plan is to arrange free trips for ordinary citizens to Ayodhya for a Ram temple darshan, and then utilize those same citizens to further the cause upon their return. According to party insiders, the goal is to make sure that more than 2 crore voters—selected from important Lok Sabha seats—visit Ayodhya prior to the election.

It has been requested of party MPs and MLAs that they arrange for notable individuals from each village in their constituency to travel to Ayodhya.

In the run-up to the recent Assembly elections, home minister Amit Shah encouraged voters to elect a BJP government and receive a complimentary trip to Ayodhya by promising "darshan of Ram Lalla" at his rallies.

Apart from the BJP, several other groups within the broader Sangh Parivar have arranged several events highlighting the lives that Hindus have given up to see a Ram temple built in Ayodhya, with the aim of uniting the Hindu voter base.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.