In addition to combating anti-incumbency sentiment in MP, the ruling party in the Centre also managed to win Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the Congress. The Congress has suffered a significant defeat as a result of these three states’ losses, and its standing as the leader of the opposition group INDIA has now significantly diminished.
The magnificent triumph the party achieved in Telangana over the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi is the only thing keeping the big old party afloat.The result in Chhattisgarh is a welcome surprise for the BJP, which took a chance by going after well-liked Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on charges of corruption and nepotism.
Baghel was predicted to guide the Congress to yet another triumph, but his plans were thwarted by the BJP’s ruse. In Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and MP, the saffron party’s bet of relying on Modi’s “guarantees” paid handsomely. On the other hand, few people embraced the Congress’ caste card.
The Congress has never fully recovered from the twin shocks in MP, which included Jyotiraditya Scindia’s defection to the BJP and the fall of the Kamal Nath government in 2020. Additionally, the ongoing dispute between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot cost the party dearly in Rajasthan.In these three states, the Congress had won the 2018 Assembly elections, but the Lok Sabha vote outcomes in 2019 were remarkably different.
The BJP must avoid drawing conclusions about a broader national trend based solely on the findings of the state polls. The Congress must realise that growing its presence in south India—the party had driven the BJP out of Karnataka earlier this year—is insufficient to seriously challenge the Modi juggernaut in the parliamentary election, which is just five months away. It will also be difficult for INDIA to get back together and present voters with a strong contender to the BJP.
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