The BJP tightened its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland with assembly victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while the Congress thrown out BRS from Telangana on Sunday, the three-one poll score setting the stage and the mood for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
With BJP-dominated electoral picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imprint writ large it has Madhya Pradesh with a decisive win and it wrested Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the Congress.
The Congress lost those two states but won Telangana from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the upset in the southern state giving the grand old party at least something to celebrate and the K. Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS outfit, hoping for a hat-trick, food for thought and introspection.
Interestingly, it is not clear who will be the BJP’s chief minister in any of the three heartland states. Clouds of gulal, shouts of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, joyful jigs and crackers were the sights and sounds of celebration in BJP offices with party workers and leaders unanimous in attributing the win to Modi’s guarantees.
“The election results show people accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee of delivering on guarantees,” Union minister Pralhad Joshi said. Joshi, who was BJP’s election-in-charge for Rajasthan, also took a dig at the Congress and the promises it made in the run up to the elections.
“People have blessed BJP in three states, endorsed Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and rejected Congress’ false promises,” Joshi said. For the Congress, looking for political revival, and the BRS, it was time to take stock ahead of the general elections just six months away.
Congress’ performance in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan assembly polls disappointing, said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, adding that it will overcome temporary setbacks and prepare fully for Lok Sabha polls along with its partners in the INDIA alliance.
The elections, which set the momentum for the 2024 polls and threw up clear, unambiguous mandates in all four states, saw the BJP and the Congress go head to head in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. And Telangana was a direct contest between the Congress and the BRS.
Madhya Pradesh rang the victory bell loud for the BJP by giving it another term in power with the party winning highest ever number of 167 seats out of 230, well over the halfway mark, and the Congress trailing at 62.
In Rajasthan too BJP get clear majority winning 115 of 199 seats, for which elections were held, leaving 69 for Congress and 15 for others. In Chhattisghar too BJP secured 54 of 90 seats, leaving 35 seats for congress.
In Telangana Congress gets absolute majority of 64 seats out of 119 seats, while BRS won 39 seats. BJP also secured 8 seats and MIM maintained its existing seats of 7.
