The hundred-day milestone is coming up for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in about two weeks’ time and it’s already raining on its celebratory parade. The results of the by-elections in four states, particularly in Bihar and Karnataka, resembled more of an early warning system for the BJP. Of the 10 seats contested in Bihar, for instance, the BJP won only four. The rest went to the improbably successful July alliance of two former chief ministers, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar, and the Congress.
Clearly, this motley bunch knew what it was up to. Coming in the wake of the BJP’s unprecedented performance in the general elections less than three months ago, these results ought to be shocking but they are not. And precisely for this reason, the BJP should be worried. Its electioneering drama was a good rehearsal and it came for free. Since then, millions of Indians bought tickets for the real show and so far, it’s been a tepid performance by the BJP on the national stage. The message for the party, therefore, is clear — close the gap between promise and performance quickly before more audience gets restive.
