'BJP to continue political dominance at least till 2034': Axis My India chief Pradeep Gupta

Pollster Pradeep Gupta has said that the current political dominance of the BJP is likely to continue for "at least 20 years", arguing that the ruling party's position would remain strong as long as governance performance does not reduce significantly.

The Axis My India chief drew parallels to the long dominance that the Congress once witnessed, suggesting that Indian politics is witnessing another cycle of one-party predominance.

"There is a threshold in politics. Earlier, Congress ruled continuously till 1977. After that, it started facing difficulties. In those days, we used to talk about a political generation lasting around 20 years. That 20-year cycle will remain even now," Gupta told PTI in an interview on Wednesday, adding that the BJP could similarly remain at the centre of Indian politics for an extended period.

According to Gupta, the future of the ruling NDA and the opposition will depend on the performance of the incumbent government.

"After receiving such a massive mandate, expectations from the BJP have also increased. So the BJP and the NDA will now have to super perform," he said.

"Till the time their performance does not become weak or poor, they will keep winning and the opposition will keep losing," he added.

The political commentator said that the Congress faced the burden of "legacy issues" related to poor governance in the past, making recovery a lengthy process.

"Even if you talk about 2029, it would mean around 15 years (out of power for Congress). I feel it may take at least five more years for them to convince the entire country," he said.

At the same time, Gupta noted that political dominance also raised public expectations.

"When you reach great heights, there is also a tendency to come down later. BJP has also reached that stage where expectations from it have risen," he said.

(With PTI inputs)