Number Theory: 3 variants of BJP’s 2024 alliance playbook

​The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has thus far announced 405 candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party has also finalised almost all of its alliances by now. The BJP’s approach to the 2024 elections has many elements that are different from its 2019 playbook. It has tried getting new allies, broken ranks with some of its traditional partners, and patched up with some older allies. A careful analysis of the BJP’s 2024 tactics suggests a mix of absolute confidence, calculated risks, and extreme risk-aversion — all at the same time. This is best understood by looking at three states.