The Political Illusion Lifts
With all the ups and downs of five state assembly elections (Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan) held in November — December 2013, the warm up session for all the political parties reaches its climax. December 8th & 9th 2013, marks a remarkable day in the political history of India. It was super Sunday for BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on the contrary for the Indian National Congress it was a sulking. The highlight of these elections was the emergence of the new power at the centre- the AAP in Delhi.
BJP swept the elections bagging 4 states (retaining 2 and capturing 2) and winning/leading in 404 of the 589 seats. After Nelson Mandela and Paul Walker, 2013 may also be the death year of the Indian National Congress, which was absolutely slaughtered in the State Elections. The Congress has been reduced to a mere midget, bagging just 128 of the 589 seats being contested, down from 248.
With few months left for the much awaited 16th Lok Sabha general elections 2014, it is crucial to contemplate the results of these elections. Below is the detailed analysis of results of the elections individually as a state.
1.CHHATTISGARH:
The hat — trick victory for the BJP leader, Ayurvedic doctor-turned-politician, Dr. Raman Singh, also referred as “Chawal Wale Baba” (The Rice God), calls for a round of applause. With a majority of 49, he defeated Congress MP Ajit Jogi (39), with a clear margin of ten. The incumbent success of Dr. Raman Singh as a leader, along with his “Mr.Clean” image, was a symbolic of the fact that, people centered policies and welfare measures which included cheap rice, free salt and healthcare for the poor, had a great impact on the election results. The ‘dadas’ of the Congress in Chhattisgarh, failed to derail a silent pro-Raman Singh wave. The internal sabotage, along with lack of leadership and recognized face for the party in the state are few of the reasons attributed to the failure of the Congress in the state.
2.DELHI:
Delhi election results marks the spark of modern politics. With the defeat of Sheila Dixit, with a meager single digit, by the BJP leader Harsha Vardhan (31) and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal (28), marks the end of dynastic politics of Congress in the center. The scam riddled and corruption tainted UPA government was enough reason for the defeat of Congress. The multi-layer strategy of BJP — Mr.Narendra Modi’s omnipresent rallies, anti — congress wave and constant focus of corruption and rising prices at the center — has led to the opening of Lotus in true sense, which is their symbol of victory. At this juncture it is important to analyse the glorious success for the AAP. Arvind Kejriwal, leader of AAP, an IITian and former IRS officer, along with the other NGO, socialists and fundamentalists, defines this success as a common man’s victory. The high voltage campaign against corruption and the established political class and power bills issues in Delhi, signifies the sparkling debut of AAP and the first real sign of much needed change of the political mood of modern India. The neck to neck voting results of BJP and AAP has led to hung assembly in Delhi, as none of the parties wants to form the ruling party. If the situation continues the same for next few days, President’s rule is the last option that Lt. Governor of Delhi is left with. Let’s wait and watch.
3.MADHYA PRADESH:
Yet again, BJP conquered Madhya Pradesh, and this time in a spectacular way. Getting a clear 2/3rd (165) majority and defeating Congress candidate “Maharaja” Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shivraj Singh Chouhan returns as the third time Chief Minister. Along with the Modi factor, renewed mandate on the basis of his development schemes and welfare projects has evidently succeeded. Welfare schemes, including the Ladli Laxmi Yojana (monetary assistance to the girl child), Mukhyamantri Cycle Vitaran Yojana (distribution of bicycles to school children), Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana (foodgrain at subsidized rates) and Atal Jyoti Abhiyan (24-hour power for rural households and 8-hour supply available for farmers), have played their part too. His style of governance has been one of the most important reasons why the BJP retained its majority in the MP assembly. The Congress paid the price for delaying the projection of Scindia as a leader until the eleventh hour.
4.MIZORAM:
As a consolation prize, people finally voted for Congress in Mizoram, and led them to the path of victory. Congress representative Lal Thanhawla won the elections with a clear majority of 31 for the second consecutive time. Mizoram is the only state in India where women voters outnumbered men by 9,806. Good governance along with a keen eye on corruption, pro-poor and job-generating New Land Use Policy, and promotional activities such as oil exploration making Mizoram self-sufficient, are the key reasons for the people’s verdict.
5.RAJASTHAN:
Vasundhara Raje Scindia is back to another term in office, after winning 2/3rds of the majority (162) and defeating the present Congress lead government by Ashok Gehlot (21), adding one more feather in the historical success of BJP. The strong anti — incumbency sentiment along with the huge rallies (Number of Rallies — 22) of Narendra Modi are the key factors attributed to the triumph of BJP in the state. Being a quintessential modern woman leader, Vasundhara Raje has always been found fighting for corruption, poverty, price rise, poor governance and a break- down of law and order. The anti — congress wave, inflation, faulty foreign policies and lack of proper governance are the few reasons for the failure of Ashok Gehlot led Congress government. For the complete five years the Congress government has hardly done any significant work. Seniors ministers of state went to jail because of serious crimes and then the communal riots of Bharatpur and Gopalganj, besides family members of Gehlot who were allegedly caught in the sand mining scam proved out to the worst for the party.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
The storyboard of the current state assemblies needed editing. Hence the fade out of Congress and fade in of BJP and AAP has signified the need for the change. It has given a clue for the upcoming LS elections for all the political parties. The results certainly boost the BJP’s chances in 2014 LS elections, if they continue the momentum to keep in touch with the common man through rallies, demonstrations and social media networking. The team work of BJP is a sure shot winning ingredient of the elections. On the contrary, it is vividly clear that, it is time for Indian National Congress or the UPA to pull up the socks and self — introspect, review and revise the poll strategy, in order to get votes, which will qualify them as opposition party. For the AAP, if it is planning to contest LS elections, it is important to be in constant touch with the people all over the country, and not just sit back with one single victory. AAP has been innovative in its politics. It needs to be smart in its economic policies as well and reinvent governance without wrecking public finances or the administration. India is all set for a new brand of politics where money and muscle power no longer played any role. The credibility, accountability and transparency of people personified or people centric policies are the mantra of the modern politics of India. Any party adopting this mantra will have a place in the heart of the voters. The stage is set. Let’s wait and watch for the next big turn in the political history of India.
