The BJP has abruptly stopped raising the slogan “Aab Ki Baar 400 par” as the opposition has been using it to strengthen its claims that the BJP was preparing to change the Constitution and end reservations.
It may be recalled that for the last three months BJP has been using it as the main slogan to motivate its cadre and also to divert entire political narration towards `how many seats BJP will get?’, rather than `will BJP return to power’?
The ongoing narrative that the RSS and BJP were working towards changing the Constitution and ending reservations to the weaker sections has put the saffron party leadership on the backfoot.
The party had reportedly got a report from the grassroot level that the Congress was successful in taking the issue of reservation to the people and that there was a lot of fear and apprehension among the people over the issue. The party fears that if the narrative continues, it could affect its prospects in the Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP finds itself caught in this situation after several party senior leaders spoke either about amending or changing the Constitution while raising the ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar, Teesri Baar Modi Sarkar’ slogan only to end up giving ammunition to the opposition.
Such remarks created fear among the weaker sections forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union Home Minister Amit Shah to come out with statements to dispel the fears.
The BJP central leadership has asked the State leaders to allay fears among Dalits and backward communities by assuring that reservations are safe, unlike the opposition’s claim that attempts were being made to change the Constitution that guarantees their quota rights.
The State leadership has reportedly directed all party candidates and leaders to hold street corner meetings in their respective constituencies and tell people that the BJP did not have any plan either to change the Constitution or to end reservations.
