Not only has the BJP regained its leader’s home turf Gujarat, but it has also established its saffron flag in Himachal Pradesh. It has kept extending its winning stretch from state to state. The BJP now controls 19 of the 29 states. Many of its victories can be credited to the presence of one man – Narendra Modi.
Nevertheless, the Congress party tried its best to fight the saffron tide. Unfortunately, the goal set by the party’s president Rahul Gandhi was not accomplished. He has been on a brave road of self-discovery and has gained much more confidence.
The BJP leaders kept taunting him in their speeches. However, Rahul Gandhi did manage to somewhat turn the situation around. His party’s tally has been augmented from its previous strength.
The Congress managed to win 77 seats. Rural Gujarat reaffirmed its faith in his freshly acquired leadership. The Patels too have supported his struggle. In the year 2012, the Congress received 38.9% of the total. Analysts argued adding that it needed to strengthen its organisational competence in a more vehement way.
After Punjab, Karnataka is another major state where the Congress holds power. If anti-incumbency remains a prominent factor, the Congress can wrest states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan from the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party. However, with the BJP in control of Assam, they will try to obtain Meghalaya from the Congress.
According to Left leader Sitaram Yechury, the BJP’s sixth win in Gujarat became a reality by playing communal games. Communal polarisation seems to work out in favour of the BJP. With the upsurge in communal politics, we can wonder if what had taken place 70 years ago is being repeated today. Similar narratives today dominate our country’s politics.