Naturally their target was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) whose lotus was in full bloom after outright victories in successive general elections. The most important aspect is the orientation of the BJP as a party in government at the Centre. Consequently, party units were often reduced to the role of patronage facilitators, resulting in the creation of a large body of disappointed BJP workers. These were factors behind the listlessness of BJP units during the 2004 election campaign and the consequent defeat. Finally, the tenure of Amit Shah as party president witnessed the transformation of the BJP into a vast election machine.

Source: Hindustan Times December 29, 2020 11:31 UTC