New Delhi, May 11 -- Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the oath ceremony in two states. These weren't meant to declare Samrat Chaudhary and Suvendu Adhikari chief ministers of their states. They were a declaration of an electoral Ashwamedh yagya by the saffron outfit, inspired by its success in recent years.

In May 2014, when Modi took the reins at the Centre, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with all its allies was in power in just seven states. Today, it rules 22 states. So, how did it achieve this? Some call it a victory of communalism. But is the explanation really that simple?

In 1988, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) lent Modi to the BJP that gave him with the charge of Gujarat. His first test was ...