The modern thinking Indian

The BJP suffered massively in the vote of confidence for the Congress Government over the nuclear deal. In the event of a loss for the Opposition, even though the Left would lose its position from a commanding influence on policy over the past 4 years, somehow, the Left is not a party that you associate the notion of loss with. If they lose influence, they will go back to being an ineffective opposition with their 50+ MP's, with people not really caring about their position on issues; or that they at one time had a major influence on the policy of the Government of India.
On the other hand, the BJP had much more to lose. It is the main opposition party in waiting, and seemed to be ready to strike at the time when the Government was weak because of the withdrawal of the support by the Left party. The party seemed to commit a lot of effort, but was soon overtaken by Mayawati; the same story, most parties that could be with the BJP were already with it, while Mayawati, after her embrace by the UNPA and the Left, was an attractive upcoming secular power. All this having happened, the BJP had to suffer actual disaster during the election; unable to keep all its MP's with it:

Meanwhile, acting tough, the BJP on Wednesday expelled all eight party MPs who cross-voted or abstained during the confidence motion in Lok Sabha. The party also decided to launch a nationwide agitation against UPA on "corruption and degradation" of democratic values of the country. BJP said the party cannot brook indiscipline in its ranks and decided to take extreme action against those MPs who violated the whip issued by the party to vote against the UPA government in the confidence motion.
Main opposition BJP was the worst sufferer with six of its MPs voting in favour of the motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sombhai Patel, Babubhai Katara and Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were among the BJP MPs who voted in favour of the government, while Haribhau Rathod was among the party MPs who abstained.

The BJP is not unaware of the attractions and inducements during periods in which individual MP's and MLA's count, and it is the political and organizational ability of a party to keep all its voting members with it, something in which it seems to have failed.

Labels: BJP, Congress, Deal, Defections, Politics