At the same time, it must be noted that about 40 per cent of the voters supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the main party claiming to represent the Hindu cause.
That shows there is a dissociation between the preponderant worldview of the people and their voting behaviour. Most of those who would vote for the BJP do not support the Hindutva cause that it champions, and so it would seem the vote for the party is mainly driven by other considerations, such as the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the development agenda he offers.
This is also borne out by the finding that the voters considered livelihood issues such as jobs and prices more important than others. One important message from the survey is that a vote for the BJP is not a vote for Hindutva or a Hindu India.
A plural and diverse India that belongs to everyone is the idea of India that most people have about the country. Another message is that an appeal to religious and communal sentiment will only have limited appeal, though that is the running theme of the loudest campaign now.