Vinay Sitapati on the Political History of the BJP Before Modi

This week on the show, Milan sits down with Vinay Sitapati, political scientist and author of the blockbuster new book, Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi. Vinay’s new book gives readers the crucial backstory to understanding India’s current political moment and it is full of historical insights, colorful anecdotes, and a decent dash of insider gossip. 

 

Vinay and Milan discuss the unusual duo of Atal Behari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, Hindu nationalism’s obsession with elections, the BJP’s “schizophrenic” approach to economics, and how the Hindu nationalist movement manages to balance the twin impulses of inclusion and exclusion. Plus, Vinay explains how a better understanding of the BJP of yesteryear can inform our thinking about Narendra Modi and Amit Shah today. 

 

Episode notes:
 

1. Vinay Sitapati, “Election is the ideology,” Indian Express
2. Vinay Sitapati, Half-Lion: How P.V Narasimha Rao Transformed India
3. Christophe Jaffrelot, The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India

 

This is the last episode of Grand Tamasha season 4! We'll be back in January with new episodes. If you have feedback or episode ideas, please contact us at podcasts@ceip.org. Happy holidays!