A BJP win in 2024 would end caste reservations and the Constitution
| A BJP win in 2024 would end caste reservations and the Constitution | |
|---|---|
| UNSUPPORTED | |
| "If the BJP won 400 seats in the 2024 election, it would rewrite India's Constitution and abolish reservations for disadvantaged castes and tribes." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Propaganda Technique |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2024 |
| Origin | Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, during the 2024 general election campaign |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-30 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
During the 2024 election, the BJP campaigned on the slogan "abki baar, 400 paar" (this time, beyond 400 seats). Opposition parties said such a majority would let the BJP change the Constitution and end reservations, the quotas in education and government jobs for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes. Rahul Gandhi campaigned holding a copy of the Constitution.
The claim drew on remarks by some BJP figures but not on any BJP proposal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly said reservations would not be touched.
What the evidence shows
- BJP remarks. In March 2024, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde said the party needed a two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution. The party distanced itself from the remark and denied him a ticket.
- No proposal. The BJP manifesto did not propose ending reservations or replacing the Constitution, and Modi said even B. R. Ambedkar himself could not abolish the Constitution.
- Effect. Analysts credited the message with helping the opposition among Dalit and backward-caste voters. The BJP won 240 seats, losing its single-party majority.
Why it matters
Claims about what a party would do with a supermajority are predictions, not facts. This one rested on stray remarks rather than evidence of a plan, though it became one of the campaign's most effective messages.
Sources
- The Indian Express, "Ananthkumar Hegde's remark on changing Constitution: BJP distances itself," March 2024.
- Election Commission of India, results of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, June 4, 2024.
- Reuters, "How Modi's opponents used the Constitution to dent his majority," June 2024.