New Delhi: From two Members of Parliament in 1984, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went on to get full majority in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, due to the consolidation of Hindu society. However, Hindus have now returned to voting along caste lines, said Pravin Togadia, former international working president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), adding that the consolidation witnessed in the previous elections was driven by the Ram Mandir movement.
Speaking to ThePrint, Togadia, who now heads Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP)—an organisation founded by him after his falling out with the VHP—said that after the construction of the Ram Mandir was completed in 2024, the party failed to secure complete majority in the Lok Sabha elections because the Hindu consolidation got disturbed and people returned to the ‘caste-fold’ due to the decreasing credibility of Hindutva in political circles.
Togadia also spoke about his meeting with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Mohan Bhagwat Sunday in Nagpur, during which they discussed a range of issues—concern over Hindu society being divided along caste lines, the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, and women’s safety, among other things.
Togadia was visiting the RSS headquarters for the first time in six years, following his resignation from the VHP. He had resigned in 2018 after his relationship with the Sangh Parivar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi soured. After parting ways with the VHP, the Ahmedabad-based cancer surgeon and former Swayamsevak went on to establish the AHP.
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Ram Mandir, and the caste factor
In the 2019 general elections, the BJP increased its seat count to 303 from 272 in 2014.
Togadia said that Ram Mandir played a key role in uniting all castes and fostering social harmony during these elections. “And because of that, the BJP reaped political dividends. In fact, the BJP got power twice, and the only reason (for that) was Ram Mandir,” he stated.
However, in 2024, this number dropped to 240, falling short of the 272 majority.
Togadia attributed this to Hindus reverting to voting along caste lines.
After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP acknowledged in its meetings that caste consolidation had played a significant role in previous elections. Learning from this, the party focused on consolidating non-Jat voters in the Haryana assembly elections this year, and reached out to the OBC community through Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
“On the issue of Hindutva, the influence of BJP, and the BJP government has reduced. And this is reflected in the fact that they could not win (LS polls). This is my view,” he said.
According to Togadia, even Bhagwat agreed during their meeting that the Hindu society being divided along caste lines was a matter of concern.
“To ensure there is no division on the lines of caste, division in terms of sections such as farmers, women…we need to work for the welfare of all,” said Togadia.
‘Welfare of all’
According to a source, Togadia indicated that a collaboration with the RSS could be possible, as his organisation, the AHP, has been active across the state, reaching nearly a lakh villages and carrying out various welfare initiatives.
“Whether it is Bangladesh, US, UK or other countries, the situation of Hindus is worsening. If Shia and Sunni can come together, if Palestine and Iran can unite, then why can’t small and big (Hindu) organisations come together at the district level and raise their voices on Hindu issues? This is the need of the hour,” he told ThePrint. “If we have common feelings towards the Hindu cause, why can’t…organisations come together for the safety of women and health-related issues? We need to work for the welfare of Hindu society.”
During the meeting, Togadia and Bhagwat also emphasised the importance of “educating boys” to ensure they understand how women should be treated.
“Specific programmes can be held to train women to become strong and empowered citizens while, at the same time, we need to educate our boys too,” he added.
Plight of Hindus in Bangladesh
Togadia also spoke of his concern over the condition of Hindus living in Bangladesh.
“We could have assembled a team of 10 lakh people (to provide safety) for the Hindus of Bangladesh, if we had decided earlier,” he added.
Togadia highlighted the VHP’s concern over this as well. In August, The VHP had appealed to the Modi government to take “every possible step for the safety of minorities in Bangladesh”.
Speaking to ThePrint at the time, VHP President Alok Kumar said the organisation had received “distress calls” from minorities in Bangladesh and that the international community needed to take effective action for the safety and protection of human rights in the country.
Togadia echoed this sentiment, adding that efforts should be made both by the government and social organisations to engage with members of parliament of other countries “to put pressure on the Bangladesh government over the condition of Hindus”.
“Some have already done that,” he added.
Canadian MP Chandra Arya, for instance, had Monday expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in his Vijayadashami speech in Nagpur Saturday, too, spoke about the plight of Bangladeshi Hindus, who faced unprovoked attacks following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government after a student uprising. He praised the minority community in Bangladesh for their “first-ever” organised resistance against radical forces.
In August, thousands of Hindus had marched in Dhaka and Chattogram, demanding action against attacks on members of their community.
“Even the Gods do not care for the weak…. What happened in Bangladesh should be a lesson for Hindu society. Weakness is a crime. If we are weak and unorganised, we are inviting atrocities. We must stay strong and organised wherever we are, not violent. This we will have to do,” Bhagwat said.
“We need to unite the Hindus for their democratic rights and the Indian government can play a vital role in this too. In Bangladesh, for instance, the Hindus got united and protested and a few foreign MPs raised their voices too. So, we should ensure more such pressure is created,” added Bhagwat.
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