What's the secret of Modi's mass appeal? How does the RSS help at election time? Does communal incitement actually win votes? Why did Amit ShahÕs election maths fail him in Bihar? Prashant Jha answers these questions and more, dissecting the BJPÕs election machine with authority and insight

The fascist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, through its political arm, the BJP, is now at the centre of Indian politics. This poses a grave danger to Indian democracy and secularism. What was the role of the Hindutva forces in the struggle against the British? What links did Gandhiji's killer Nathuram Godse have with the RSS? How did the political arm of the RSS, the Jan Sangh, and its later incarnation, BJP, come into being? What actually happened on that fateful day of Dec. 6, 1992? What are the current agendas of the RSS? What does the elevation of the hardliner Sudarshan to the post of the Sarsanghchalak of the RSS mean? Marshalling a wealth of factual and archival detail, eminent lawyer and political commentator A.G. Noorani answers these and a host of other questions in his characteristically forthright and hard hitting style. Reprinted and updated til Feb. 2001.

The story of Amit Shah's political life, struggles, rise and triumph is little known. For a leader who is often referred to as the Chanakya of Indian politics, who has dominated India's fast-paced and complex political stage since 2014, has altered its electoral map by leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to successive historic victories post the May 2014 general elections, there is very little that is recorded or narrated. So, it's no surprise that the curiosity he evokes is ever on the rise. Most of what is written about Amit Shah is based on conjectures, hearsay, assumptions and biases. The real Amit Shah-the once booth-worker and now national president of the largest political party in the world, the master strategist who has pushed the BJP to an organisational pinnacle and yet talks of scaling peaks, a man who is unhesitant in his stand on nationalism and on anything which concerns India's national interest-has remained in the shadows, self-effaced, away from the limelight. The story of how he expanded the BJP into a pan-India party and the convergence of organisational science and ideology that has made the BJP a unique and formidable political entity is a story that needs to be told. The book narrates the personal and political journey of Amit Shah, captures the ideological world that shaped him and gives an account of the party that he is leading and shaping today. It is for the first time that his story is being told-an authentic, no-holds-barred portrayal of one of the most influential leaders of our times. To the political worker, the observer and to anyone even remotely interested in Indian politics, irrespective of their profession or political leaning, especially since the unfolding of Indian politics in the summer of 2014, this is a captivating exploration of the political life and journey of one of its central characters.

This empirically rich volume presents a holistic picture of the electoral process in Indian states and the return of the BJP to power. Drawing on the 2019 elections, it presents ground-level data to understand various aspects of elections: the nature of campaigning, caste, class and identity politics, electoral issues, poll strategies of different parties in the fray, electoral issues, electoral verdicts, the contestants, the leadership factor, the formation of government, among other empirical details. The essays underline the determinants of electoral behaviour by looking into the correlation between the background variables of voters and their voting choices. The essays also compare and contrast the 2019 election verdicts from the earlier elections held in the state under study. A long view of Indian state politics, this book will be essential reference for scholars and researchers of politics, especially political processes, and South Asian studies.

Revised to encompass developments through to the end of the 20th century, this is a study of India's complex history and society. The author views the development of Indian civilization in terms of the socio-religious conflicts and traditions through time, and their impact on political culture.

The relationship between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a cultural organisation and the political parties—Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party is unique in the history of Indian polity. Because of the shared ideology and cadre; the inner working and the interpersonal relationships have been a matter of surmise and conjecture. It has become more so now when the BJP has got an absolute majority to become the ruling party at the centre. With an unbroken relationship stretching from 1951 onwards; it is the informal weave of brotherhood that has made it a successful operation. This book depicts the history; foundation and development of this relationship and how this symbiosis has played out over the years. RSS-BJP SYMBIOSIS by SUCHITRA KULKARNI: This book likely explores the intricate relationship between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Indian politics. Suchitra Kulkarni may delve into the historical, ideological, and political aspects of this symbiotic relationship, providing insights into the influence of the RSS on the BJP and Indian governance. Key Aspects of the Book "RSS-BJP SYMBIOSIS": Political Dynamics: Explores the dynamics between the RSS and BJP in the context of Indian politics. Historical Perspective: Offers insights into the historical evolution and ideological alignment of these organizations. Suchitra Kulkarni likely delves into the complex relationship between the RSS and BJP in "RSS-BJP SYMBIOSIS." This book provides a deeper understanding of their influence on Indian politics.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enjoys a predominant position in Indian politics today. In its journey from coalition to single-party rule, the BJP has changed as much as India appears to have. Veteran journalist Saba Naqvi tells the story of the party’s journey under two very different prime ministers drawn from the same ideological family. In 1998, the author attended the very modest swearing-in ceremony of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the courtyard of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In 2014, she was at a mega event at the same venue when Narendra Modi was sworn in. The Saffron Storm is both a first-person account of racy events as they unfolded in the nation’s history and a work that raises larger analytical points about the BJP’s growth. It examines the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh cadre and its equations with elected leaders, the calibration of ideology, the issue of political finance and the social expansion of the party, as also the cults of personality that would emerge around, first, Vajpayee and then, more forcefully, around Modi. The book provides a riveting account of the party’s journey from ‘untouchability’ (when allies were unwilling to join) to its presumed ‘invincibility’ today. This updated edition also describes the enforcement agencies’ action against the party’s opponents, the increasingly centralized command structure of the BJP and the implications of the delimitation exercise due in 2026. The Saffron Storm is a fascinating and readable dive into the contemporary history of the BJP.

This book addresses the paradox of political mobilization and the failings of governance in India, with reference to the conflict between secularism and Hindu nationalism, authoritarianism and democracy. It demonstrates how the Internal Emergency of 1975 led to increased support of groups such as the BJS and the RSS, accounting for the rise of political movements advocating Hindu nationalism - Hindutva - as a response to rapid political mobilization triggered by the Emergency, and an attempt by political elites to control this to their advantage. Vernon Hewitt argues that the political disjuncture between democracy and mobilization in India is partly a function of the Indian state, the nature of a caste-class based society, but also - and significantly - the contingencies of individual leaders and the styles of rule. He shows how, in the wake of the Emergency, the BJP and the RSS gained popularity and power amid the on-going decline and fragmentation of the Congress, whilst, at the same time, Hindu nationalism appeared to be of such importance that Congress began aligning themselves with the Hindu right for electoral gains. The volume suggests that, in the light of these developments, the rise of the BJP should not be considered as remarkable – or as transformative – as was at first imagined.