The Bharatiya Janta Party’s clarion call ‘Chalo Paltai’ (Let’s Change) has had strong resonance with North-East’s young aspirational voters. With its performance in the North-East, the BJP has come a long way to rule over a large part of India and position itself strongly with a new momentum for the next Lok Sabha polls. However, the euphoria has been short-lived with the saffron party getting a drubbing in by-polls in major constituencies of UP and Bihar., opines Charanjit Ahuja.
The display of the saffron flag in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya is a historic advance for the BJP. It signifies the Congress party’s decimation and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s constant assent. With the BJP’s standout performance in all three northeastern states, the party is now in control of 22 out of 29 states in the country directly or through allies. The political message is loud and clear more than just about the symbolism of Congress being reduced literally to a zero in both Tripura (from 10 seats in 2013) and Nagaland (from 8 seats in 2013). The BJP now claims to be more than a Hindi belt party and the only pan-India party.
However, the euphoria over the astounding victory in North-East has proved short lived for the Bhartiya Janta Party as it has got a shocker in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the prestigious parliamentary seat of Gorakhpur, vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who held the seat for record five times and in Phulpur, vacated by his deputy Keshav Maurya, the Samajwadi Party with the support of Bahujan Samaj Party of Mayawati has won comfortably. Maurya himself admitted that “The BSP has successfully been able to transfer its votes for the SP”.
In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janta Dal registered wins from Araria parliamentary seat and Jahanabad assembly seat. West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamta Banerje was quick to tweet “Congratulations to Lalu Prasad Ji for the great victory”, giving enough hints of possible future tie-ups.
With presence in most of the states, the BJP will be eyeing Karnataka, Odisha, Bengal and Kerala and will try to beat anti-incumbency in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
This story is from the March 31, 2018 edition of Tehelka.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 31, 2018 edition of Tehelka.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Why Did Ratan Tata Feel Compelled To Take Charge Again?
Did Cyrus Mistry fall victim to an ossified corporate culture or did he violate Tata Sons’ ethos and culture? MG BanGa tells the story so far.
Misguided Youths Or Trained Terrorists?
As part of a dangerous trend emerging across the world, homegrown ISIL sympathisers are willing and attempting to carry out deadly terror attacks without any comprehensive support system.
Indian Railways: Living In Dreams
Indian Railways is changing track, giving up its separate Budget and experimenting with surge pricing on three popular trains. That leaves the behemoth with no funds to replace ageing assets and encourage further investments.
Priyanka Gandhi Agreed To Play Bigger Role In UP
Further delay in decision making could be detrimental to the party’s goal to rejuvenate its prospects in the State Assembly elections.
Mission 2019: Banega Swachh India?
Two years ago, Modi kicked off a cleanliness drive in a spectacular way. Showing the contrast between world cities and Gurgaon, MG BANGA suggests ways in which the mission can be accomplished by 2019.
The Goodwill Enjoyed By Mehabooba Mufti Has Been Erased!
Mehbooba Mufti risks losing her popularity and irking her party ranks by using New Delhi’s rulebook to deal with the unrest in Kashmir.
Is China's Support To Pakistan, Big Threat To India?
New Delhi needs to be cautious as in Pakistan’s scheme of things, strategic ties with China can serve as a powerful weapon to deal with adversaries like India.
Panama Papers: Nawaz Sharif'S Troubles Escalate
After his name surfaced in the Panama paper leak following several other charges of money laundering filed against him, there is pressure on Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif to resign.
This Potus Will Make The World Go Bust
The man who believes global warming is a hoax and has a short attention span will now preside over the affairs not just of the United States but of the whole world. A daunting prospect.
Reel-Life Bohemians, Real-Life Hyprocrites
ADHM vs Palm Grove Heights: In cinematic life, two strangers Ranbir and Anushka meet in a pub in London and go on a kissing spree while in actual life back in India, a woman from Barcelona was evicted from her male friend’s home in Gurugram. Is cinema really a mirror of society?
