Watch | The strategies of the BJP and Congress | Lok Sabha elections 2024

An analysis of who the BJP and Congress are reaching out to and what the regional autonomous parties are doing

The BJP, which has been in power with an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha for two five-year terms, appears confident of a third term in 2024. The party has set a target of 370 seats in the Lok Sabha, which has 543 members; and a popular vote share of more than 50%. In 2019, the party had won around 37% of votes and 55% of the Lok Sabha’s seats.

We look at three noteworthy and significant points worth discussing on the general elections.

The BJP wants to emerge as a truly national party in this election, by spreading its wings to all regions, particularly peninsular India. The Congress wants to arrest its continuing decline and hold on to its shrinking national footprint by creating a new opening in the Hindi heartland, among the Other Backward Classes.

Having established his sway over politics north of the Vindhyas, from the east to the west, Mr. Modi is now out to woo Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu speakers. While Mr. Modi is trying to reach out to the geographical bottom of India, Mr. Gandhi is addressing the social middle of the Hindi heartland. Mr. Modi is looking south for his national status; Mr. Gandhi, who had painted himself into the Wayanad corner — a largely Christian-Muslim constituency which elected him to the Lok Sabha in 2019 — now wants to take the fight back to the heartland, by talking about caste.

We also look at the dynamics involving the autonomous regional parties.

Read more: Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Central aims, subnational strategies

Presentation: Varghese K. George