Indian Opposition Tries to Gain Upper Hand Against Ruling BJP

Attempting to push the BJP on the back foot on the issue of paper leaks, the opposition has reached the battleground where the BJP has so far found it easier to gain a foothold. More talk of Ram temple offerings and theft is sure to hit the saffron camp hard. However, the way the Congress has approached Manu Smriti with Vande Mataram and women's rights has strengthened the possibility that the next year's elections in seven states could also be a test of tactical acumen between the ruling party and the opposition on the issue of cultural nationalism. The opposition strategists'aim behind raising these issues may be to defeat the BJP with its own weapons, while the ruling party's message is that this is a favourable pitch on which it can easily put the opposition in the dock for Muslim appeasement. Next year's elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Gujarat, Manipur, and Goa, while the opposition parties have started preparing for a student movement.