BJP in South India 1991 General Election

James Manor Many political commentators and politicians of various parties see great potential in south India for the BJP to expand its electoral base. The party 'pulled out all stops' during the 1991 election campaign, devising special supplementary manifestos for each of the four southern states and redoubling its efforts there after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi This paper examines its performance there and offers tentative comments on the implications of that performance for the future prospects of the BJP in this region.