In the end, Hindu nationalism holds limited appeal in India as bread-and-butter concerns rule

NEW DELHI – It was a triumphant moment for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January when he personally led the inauguration of a temple – with cameras clicking and priests in tow – at what was once a disputed site between Hindus and Muslims in Ayodhya.

The consecration of the Ram temple

in the BJP’s stronghold of northern Uttar Pradesh state – a key promise in the party’s manifesto – was widely tipped to help the party ride a wave of Hindu triumphalism, and coast to certain victory in the 18th general election.