The poll verdict of five Indian states is on expected lines. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stamped its supremacy in Indian politics by recapturing four out of five states that went to polls, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) has finally managed to grab power in Punjab, as has been in the reckoning since 2014. If the present trend continues, BJP is all poised to do well in the forthcoming assembly polls in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and as well as in the 2024 general elections. On the other hand, the opposition parties will have to work really hard to stop BJP’s juggernaut. While BJP’s foot print is now more visible in all parts of the country with the conquering of one state after another, the opposition is simply drifting into oblivion, unable to corner the incumbent on any single issue including farmers’ agitation, Covid-19 deaths, price rise, law and order, foreign policy, etc. This is why even before the election dates were announced, the outcome was more or less known and the poll results have confirmed that at present the saffron brigade is more formidable than its rivals. Out of the five states which went to polls this time, by grabbing all four states that it was ruling, BJP has successfully managed to keep the anti-incumbency factor in check. At the same time barring Uttar Pradesh, the party has improved its tally in three other states, which is no mean achievement by any party in power. Regarding Punjab, it was never a bastion of BJP and it was almost certain that the party would not do well in the elections with its newfound allies like former Chief Minister Amrinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh Dhimasa after parting with the Shiromoni Akali Dal (SAD) over the controversial farm bills.
On its part, the opposition parties should seriously introspect about their repeated defeats at the hands of BJP. Just like previous elections, the Congress has suffered the most. Five years ago, it captured Punjab and was the single largest party in both Manipur and Goa. This time, the party was defeated in Punjab, apart from finishing poorly in the two other states. In Manipur the party has managed to win only five seats, though it won 27 seats in the last elections. Same is the story in Uttarakhand too, where the party has emerged winner only in 19 seats in a 70-member house; not to mention Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress has ceased to be a force long ago. These figures show that the Congress is no match for BJP at present. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party (SP) may think snatching a couple of seats from BJP is a major success, but the notion is completely unfounded. The fact remains that the Uttar Pradesh electorate has rated the performance of BJP government much higher than SP’s regime and thus provided the party a second chance. All in all, it’s a resounding victory for BJP and it has indeed strengthened the saffron citadel in the country.