BJP Leads in 3 out of 4 States in Crucial Regional Elections in India : Analysis

India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in three out of four states in important regional elections. This indicates a significant boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the upcoming general elections, which are set to be held within the next six months.

The heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana in the south, and Mizoram in the northeast held provincial elections last month. Vote counting began in four of these states on Sunday, with the counting in Mizoram expected to take place on Monday. As of midday on Sunday, the BJP was leading in all three heartland states.

The results of these state elections are seen as indicative of the voter sentiment leading up to the national elections in May, where Modi is aiming for a third consecutive term. The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, currently holds power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, while the BJP rules Madhya Pradesh. In Mizoram, the regional ally of the BJP, the Mizo National Front, is in power.

However, the Congress party seems set to win in Telangana, where the regional Bharat Rashtra Samithi party, formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi, currently holds power. The Congress party also won power in neighbouring Karnataka last year.

Modi and his party continue to be popular on a national level after nearly a decade in power, and surveys suggest that he is expected to win a third term. However, the newly-formed opposition alliance, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA, consisting of 28 parties and led by the Congress, is set to challenge the BJP nationally.

During the campaigning for the state elections, both Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi rallied for support and made promises of subsidies, loan waivers, and employment guarantees to woo voters.

These elections come at a time when India is grappling with various challenges, including rising unemployment, attacks and “hate speech” from Hindu nationalists targeting minority groups, particularly Muslims, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media.

Source: Aljazeera news: India’s BJP leads in 3 of 4 states in key regional elections

0

0