Electoral wins further strengthen Modi and knock Congress for six

By Tridivesh Singh Maini Source:Global Times Published: 2014-10-21 18:48:02

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT



The verdict of the recently held assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana have once again shown that the BJP-led Narendra Modi government's honeymoon period is still ongoing.

In both states, the party did not have any strong local leaders. Yet due to a combination of factors including hectic campaigning by Modi and a massive anti-incumbency sentiment against the Congress party, which had been in the saddle for 15 years in Maharashtra, the BJP managed to take first place in both elections, if not with an overall majority in Mahrashtra.

Modi's stock has only gone up as a result. The result is being interpreted as a thumbs-up to Modi's performance as the prime minister so far.

This is important, because losses in some of the by-elections had sent the impression that the Modi government's popularity was dipping.

During the campaigns in both states, Modi promised the voters better governance if his party was elected, while once again stating that a vote for the BJP was essentially a vote for him.

In addition to the Modi factor, we should remember that anti-incumbency sentiment due to poor governance, as well as a number of corruption charges against the government in Haryana, also played an important role.

The win in Maharashtra means that the BJP has complete dominance of western India, since it is already in power in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The Haryana result also means that the BJP will continue to try and expand its footprint in states, such as West Bengal, where the Congress party is weak and voters are looking for an alternative to regional players.

The Congress party, on the other hand, has once again been defeated in two of its strongholds. The loss in Maharashtra means that the party is not in power in any of the states which is dominant numerically.

While a loss was on the cards in both states, the Congress party did not mount a particularly aggressive campaign against the BJP.

The debacle in these two states has once again reiterated the dire need for the grand old party to reinvent itself through serious introspection.

While the Congress party is in power in nine states, it needs to keep in mind that it is fast losing ground in politically important states, and in the past few decades there has been a clear trend of the party not being able to recover ground in certain states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu once it slips.

Andhra Pradesh, which has now been bifurcated into the regions of Seemandhra and Telangana and still sends 40 members to the Lok Sabha, used to be a stronghold of the Congress. But the party has lost ground in both new regions, and it will take time for the party to bounce back.

One of the first steps which can be taken is propping up young and dynamic leaders who can understand the massive changes taking place in the Indian political landscape, including the aspirations of Indian voters.

In addition to the political ramifications, there are likely to be some important policy impacts.

There will be BJP governments in states that are economically significant: Maharashtra whose capital is Mumbai, the financial capital of India, and Haryana, which is home to Gurgaon, a leading financial center and part of the National Capital Region.

A number of infrastructure projects may be expedited. The prime minister has on numerous occasions spoken about improving the infrastructure of Mumbai, ensuring that industrial growth in Maharashtra is more equitable and improving the economic situation of farmers in the state.

Haryana shares close proximity to the national capital, and again faces a problem of skewed development. The BJP government in the state will have to address this issue to consolidate the party's position there.

It is time for the BJP to make use of its political capital, and for the Congress to do an honest appraisal of the reasons for its drubbing.

The author is associated with the Jindal School of International Affairs, Sonepat. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

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