As a student of Organisational Behaviour and a novice in Politics I tend to look at Political events from the point of view of LEARNING about individual and group behaviour, Leadership issues, group dynamics and how systems, procedures and rules have an impact on individuals and on group behaviour.
So, from the point of view of Behaviour, the following aspects stand out.
One. In these elections BJP and its supporting organisations tried everything to polarise the voter—hijab controversy, azan restrictions, sponsored lynchings, love jihad controversy and used Tipu Sultan to achieve their objective. Even over confident PM also jumped into the fray and dragged Bajrang bali into politics, equating Goons of Bajrang dal with Bajrang Bali, an epitome of Loyalty, strength and courage. Yet the voters did not oblige. So, it appears that there is a limit to which Gods can be politicised and be exploited for electoral purposes. And secondly, the Leader must know its people, one cannot use God every time and Every where.
Two. However, Had the BJP done all this in North Indian states, it would have perhaps managed to polarise the Voters and decimated others, but all this did not work in South India. Therefore, there must be something that differentiates South Indians from North India. We the North Indians need to ponder what has made South Indian states successful. They are amongst the richest states of the country, provide millions of jobs to North Indians, they have carved a name for themselves in IT industry, Automobile sector, textiles and so on and not to forget -Most of our scientists are South Indians. Having served in South India, I can vouch for their simplicity and discipline. Besides this the people of South India are peace loving, they are staunch Hindus but perhaps they feared the direction in which BJP was trying to take them and so they rejected that Hinduism which is the hallmark of North Indians; Hooliganism.
Three. Mr Modi, as a Leader has finally exposed himself fully to the world. The manner in which he conducted himself during the elections and used religion none can be fooled now with his slogan SAB KA SAATH- SAB KA VISHWAS. Even the most naïve might now say that his Govt is - For the Hindus and By the Hindu (Fundamentalists). Usually, a Leader once exposed for his duplicity, he sooner or later gets trapped in a Catch 22 situation and has an ignominious end.
Four. The EC remained complacent and so the BJP Leadership used religion to create divide. When there is no one to monitor the powerful are likely to get away easily flouting them.
Five. It is not necessary that if a political party which deliberately tries to shift the Goal post from Development to Religion, the people can also be herded in that direction. The people can have different priorities and have their own laundry list. And a leader must be aware of that or else it implies that the Leader is now either bereft of any new ideas or has lost touch with the ground realities.
Last but not the least, these elections remind me of a famous quote of Abraham Lincoln.
'You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time” .
This is a great quote because it also tells us Where each one of us stand.