In the run-up to the 2024 general elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be seeking a third straight term, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received a major boost as it clinched power in three of the four crucial states, for which Assembly elections were held in the last week of November.
While the BJP won Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the Congress managed to win only the southern state of Telangana, allowing the party a face-saver. In Madhya Pradesh the trends show Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 166 seats; Congress in 63 seats.
In Rajasthan BJP candidates are moving ahead of their rivals in 115 constituencies, while Congress is leading in 70 seats.
In Chhattisgarh Congress is likely to bag 34 seats, whereas BJP is ahead in 56.
In Telangana Congress is all set for victory with leads in 64 seats, incumbent BRS has managed to do well in 40 seats and BJP in 9 seats.
The assembly polls in these states were touted as a semi-final contest ahead of the general elections in less than six months.
On the BJP’s impressive performance in the Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the results indicate that “Indians are firmly with politics of good governance.” He said the efforts to divide people on the basis of caste did not work. Those abusing the investigating agencies have been rejected too, he said.
A TOI report said that Telangana Chief Minister and working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), K Chandrasekhar Rao, has accepted his party’s loss. The latest trends indicate that Congress secured victory in 64 out of the total 119 assembly seats.
Despite a less-than-stellar performance in Telangana, the BJP managed to inflict significant damage in the closely watched Kamareddy Assembly constituency.
The Congress is in celebratory mode in Telangana as trends show the party is well ahead of K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
KV Ramana Reddy has emerged victorious, overcoming outgoing Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, widely hailed as the ‘father of Telangana,’ and the newly-appointed state chief of the Congress, Revanth Reddy, who played a pivotal role in orchestrating his party’s success.
Reacting to the trends, which indicate a setback for the Congress, the party’s national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, referred to it as a “temporary setback.” He stated that the party would now focus on gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.x
He said the party fought a spirited campaign in these states and thanked Congress workers as well as the people who voted for the party.
He thanked the voters in Telangana, who ensured a sound victory for Congress while allowing the party a face-saving reprieve amid a three-state loss against the BJP.
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As BJP inches closer to victory in Madhya Pradesh, MP CM Shivraj Chouhan said his government did not allow the anti-incumbency factor to damage BJP’s prospects by ensuring good governance and effective implementation of state and central schemes.
“We knew that as far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned, given the public welfare schemes of our double-engine government – people’s blessings will be with us.”
“I am confident that their blessings will be with the BJP, and we will form the government with an absolute majority,” he said.
Former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje thanked BJP president JP Nadda for the victory.
“This marks the triumph of the state’s people who have rejected the misgovernance of Congress and embraced the good governance of the BJP. Also, this victory provides an opportunity for Prime Minister Modi to serve the nation’s people in 2024,” Raje stated.
Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, thanked the people of Telangana. “We graciously acknowledge the mandate of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan – the ideological struggle will continue. I extend my sincere gratitude to the people of Telangana – we are committed to fulfilling the promise of building a prosperous Telangana. A heartfelt thank you to all the party workers for their dedication and support,” says a translated version of Gandhi’s tweet.
