Hindutva

The ideological basis for the Advani-led party which has played a major role in the BJP's rapid growth since the mid-'80s now has to be tempered with a policy of "selective emphasis". In UP, for example, it will be played up ... while Hindutva in general and the Ram temple in particular are likely to be outweighed by local issues in, say, Kerala ... The ideology is seen as exclusivist ... And perhaps even an upper-caste one, despite efforts of the RSS-BJP think tank to overcome this with gestures ...

Minorities

... The BJP wants the Muslim vote. The problem is, how? The Vajpayee way of "social coalitions" and making appropriate gestures? Or the Advani way of "we are unrepentant for what we stand for because it is not communal and we are willing to convince the minorities of this"? The latter seems to be prevailing. But the minorities seem unwilling to fall in with the emerging middle-class consensus' on giving the "BJP a chance". The scars of the Babari Masjid demolition have not healed, the emphasis on a uniform civil code has upset many and the call for an end to "minority appeasement" rankles. Significantly, divisions between the Christian community and the Sangh Parivar in the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar have hardened attitudes.

Kashmir

The BJP's stand Jammu and Kashmir is a problem for many, despite the dichotomy in the party. The hardliners ... are clear that the 'official' position of all  political parties, including the BJP, that the whole of Kashmir is India's should be reflected on the ground – in conjunction with a ... demand to scrap Article 370, a stand endorsed by nearly the entire leadership .. Officially, the BJP line is that military intervention in the Valley and an attempt to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir should not be shied away from.

Cow Slaughter

Along with Akhand Bharat, this has been on the RSS agenda since its inception ... Of late, the BJP has revived the "gau hatya virodhi andolan" by bestowing upon it a 'Bharatiya', as opposed to Hindu, conceptual colour ...

Even those who are taken in by the BJP argument due to its symbolism, may justifiably feel that the state should refrain from intervening in the dietary habits of the populate.

Women

In an organisation dominated by a distinctly male ethos, where the "moral authority" over the party is wielded by lifelong bachelors ... gender is a problem. And a big one ... The ... feminist argument, especially in urban India, that the Sangh looks upon women as "either mothers or daughters" does strike a chord. The  controversial defence of sati by BJP vice-president Vijayaraje Scindia and the more recent terming of the newly-crowned Miss World Diana Hayden as 'shameless' by ... a BJP MLA ... are cases in point. Economy: ... FICCI and CII are backing the BJP, counting on continued support for liberation ... The BJP seems committed to the Bombay Club stand that there should be protection for Indian business while opening up the economy ... Avowed liberalisers feel it is idle daydreaming to think one can have a free market economy with protectionist overtones. And swadeshi is one of the core beliefs of the RSS. Witness the opposition to mega-projects by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) (which) has made it clear that opposition to liberalisation is complete ...                                                                                               (Source: The Outlook, 15 December, 1997)