The fact that the Indian electorate never ceases to surprise the poll observers has once again become evident from the results of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections. Only five months ago during the general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) underperformed in Maharashtra, but managed to put up a credible show in Jharkhand. A similar pattern emerged in the recently concluded assembly elections as BJP has registered a landslide victory in Maharashtra and lost badly in Jharkhand despite trying really hard to win the opposition-ruled state. Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) performed considerably well in the Lok Sabha elections, but lost six out of nine seats in the subsequent by-elections. The poll outcome may be indicative of the BJP recovering well from the jolt it had suffered during the general elections, but West Bengal remains a cause of concern, with the party losing all six by-elections, including a seat it had won in the 2021 assembly elections. On the other hand, although the Congress managed to win just 16 seats in Maharashtra, the party ended on the winning side by capturing the same number of seats in alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which won 34 seats in an 81-member house and maintained its stronghold in Karnataka. So, the poll outcome is a mixed bag for all the political parties in contention.
The election outcome has clearly established the fact that these days the Indian electorate has started voting differently for different elections, a pattern previously predominant only in Delhi. Despite winning absolute majorities on a couple of occasions, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal failed to win any seats in the parliamentary elections. During the 2024 general elections, AAP had even formed an alliance with the Congress to improve its prospects in the national capital, but this move did not yield the desired results as the BJP won all seven parliamentary seats from Delhi. This time, many political observers predicted BJP’s loss in Maharashtra well in advance after the party won few seats in the parliamentary elections; however, the party achieved its best-ever performance in the state by winning 132 seats out of a total of 288, narrowly missing a simple majority. Similar trends were witnessed in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, where the ruling parties performed considerably well despite poor showings during the general elections. This is a welcome development considering the complexities and vastness of India, as regional aspirations have often been neglected under single-party rule. The resultant regional disparities can only be removed with the presence of strong regional outfits that are knowledgeable about the needs of their regions and will create a true federal ecosystem in the country.