With Ram temple in front and centre...

BJP expects rich political dividends as it reckons Opposition's rejection of invites to the temple consecration ceremony may polarise electorate again, writes Radhika Ramaseshan

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The so-called "liberation" of Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya has undeniably contributed to the political ascendancy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although the strategies, campaigns, and popular mobilisation for the movement were orchestrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The demand for a temple dedicated to Ram propelled the BJP to a dominant position in the north, particularly Uttar Pradesh, the west, and Karnataka in the south.

The Ayodhya Assembly seat, the epicentre of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque dispute in the Avadh region, has been held by the BJP since 1993, with an interruption in 2012 when it was taken by the Samajwadi Party (SP). Even the pro-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) wave of 2007 didn't disrupt the BJP's hold on Ayodhya. The current MLA, Ved Prakash Gupta, is a former BSP member.

The Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, which includes Ayodhya among its five Assembly seats, has been less predictable.

In 1989, as the temple issue gained traction, it was won by Mitrasen Yadav of the Communist Party of India. This victory was achieved through a broad understanding among non-Congress parties, including the BJP, to defeat the Congress.