The Akali Dal readily offered to support a BJP government in New Delhi. Hindutva is by far the most powerful electoral weapon in armoury everywhere in India except the Kashmir Valley and some of the seven sister states of the north-east. The weapon has not, however, been either focused or sharpened for the south and east. In fact, it was not deliberately prepared even for the Hindi heartland. It spontaneously grew more powerful as the Ramjanmabhoomi issue gained momentum.
Castes are a social phenomenon.
People vote over caste lines only in the absence of an ideological commitment or a charismatic leader. To that extent, caste is a comparatively loose or a shallow electoral factor. The proof of this is how easily Ayodhya was able to draw the voters of caste-ridden Uttar Pradesh away from their habit to give the BJP resounding victories from 1989 onwards. Though communism has an ideological appeal, a regional identity strikes an emotional chord. These regions, therefore, will require the evolution of more deliberate strategies than was the case in the Hindi heartland.