Modi, Another election cycle, another authoritative mark on the hindi heartland. The outcome in none of the three states won by the bjp was predetermined. In madhya pradesh, the party faced 18 years of anti-incumbency, while in rajasthan and chhattisgarh, it faced tough regional leaders in ashok gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel. The bjp did not announce a chief ministerial candidate in any of the three states, and the campaign was centered on prime minister narendra Modi. The results demonstrate that Modi's blend of nationalism and welfare retains enormous legitimacy, and his ability to turn tough elections into easy victories persists.

There was a setback in telangana, but the bjp nevertheless increased its vote total from 2018. The results establish Modi as the single most influential political person in the country, and place him and the bjp in a pole position, with the Opposition not even in the rearview mirror for the time being.

If Modi's radiance was at the heart of the BJP's appeal, then Union home minister amit shah made certain that no votes were lost in the process. He was in charge of the campaign's nuts and bolts, driving practically nonstop and playing a crucial role in both the selection of candidates and the subjects that the separate campaigns would focus on.

He spotted the chance for a change in eastern rajasthan, identified room for welfare promises in madhya pradesh, and orchestrated a bjp campaign in tribal Chhattisgarh. With fewer than six months till the lok sabha elections, the bjp victory cements his role as a key architect of the party's electoral success, demonstrating both his business and political savvy, which has put the party in a near-impregnable position at the national level.

The congress and Rahul gandhi had a humiliating day on Sunday. Although he was no longer the party's president, gandhi maintained his role as the antidote to narendra Modi, spearheading the grand old party's campaign in all four states. The congress has won for the first time in telangana, capitalizing on scorching anti-incumbency against K Chandrashekar Rao, but the congress has been wiped out in the vital hindi heartland, where the lok sabha elections will be won or lost.

Gandhi attempted to make a caste census a central issue, but there is little evidence that this gained traction; labeled the bjp a party of the rich, but the poor continued to support Modi; and offered the congress as a developmental alternative to the bjp, which voters in three states rejected. It is difficult to see what the congress or gandhi can do to modify the narrative in the future.

Mallikarjun Kharge assumed the presidency of the congress in october 2022. The party won state elections in himachal pradesh and karnataka under his leadership, and there was speculation of a comeback. In some respects, wresting telangana from the BRS is a continuation of that pattern — except that Kharge is not the head of a Vindhyas-based party, but of one that aspires to confront the bjp on a national scale. On that front, sunday made it apparent that there is still a lot of work to be done.

Chhattisgarh is slow to change leadership and handed the bjp 15 years, yet the congress was devastated in five; in madhya pradesh, the bjp faced 18 years of anti-incumbency and yet won by a startling margin; while in rajasthan, Gehlot's welfare bonanza fell short. In the run-up to 2024, Kharge now leads a party that appears to have no idea what works in the hindi heartland. If this continues, there will be no possibility to alter the guard in May 2024.

Former madhya pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath had everything going for him six months before the polls. The congress had won the 2018 assembly elections, but its administration had disintegrated due to internal disputes, therefore he should have received sympathy. Jyotiraditya Scindia, his former chief competitor, was no longer in the party, which had rallied behind Nath, and the campaign was more cohesive than it had ever been. shivraj singh chouhan stood in their way, carrying the weight of 18 years of anti-incumbency. But, rather than being the pinnacle of a lengthy political career, sunday was likely the beginning of the end.
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Assembly Elections

SIBY JEYYA

04/12/2023 07:34 AM