It was for the first time in independent India that the Congress – which had denounced the Muslim League for misusing Islam to achieve its political objective – openly exploited the religious sensibilities of Hindus to prevent Narendra Dev from getting re-elected without bringing any substantive issue of national or regional importance into the electoral debate. This shift was crucial and, despite Nehru’s sincere attempts to reverse the trend, the temptation to mix religion with politics never died
