The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is probably the most evocative issue that has shaped politics for over three decades now. If in the 1990s, the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation mobilised Hindu public opinion across the country, mainly in the north and the west, and propelled the BJP to the centre stage of politics, the construction of the temple and its consecration in January this year have helped the party silently consolidate Hindu identity. Whether this issue will be brought into focus during the campaign is not important. If it is, the BJP may make further gains, but even if it is not, the BJP has already established itself as a party that stands for Hindu pride.
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