Thursday’s political thriller ended with a mixed bag for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the saffron party broke its own record in Gujarat but ended up losing Himachal Pradesh to Congress as the hill state upheld its ‘Riwaaz’ of voting out the incumbent.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf, the BJP juggernaut continued unabated, crushing traditional rival Congress and throwing a spanner in the plans of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that looked to replace the Grand Old Party in the state. The BJP not only broke its own record of 128 in Gujarat but also surpassed the Congress’ historic 149-seat tally from 1985.
The mandate is not only a resounding yes for ‘son of the soil’ Modi but also marks the return of the miffed Patidars to the party fold after a failed alliance with the Congress.
Thursday’s results have also served as a reality check for the party in Himachal Pradesh, where factors such as anti-incumbency, inflation, unemployment and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) seemed to have worked in favour of the Congress.
The outcome has also changed the country’s saffron footprint map. In 2014, the BJP held the reins in only seven state assemblies. This was until the BJP rode on the Modi wave which took the party to a staggering 21 by 2018. By mid-2018, the BJP had painted India saffron, pushing back the Congress and several regional players.
However, the party also saw a period of lows as it lost bastions such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. As alliance partner TDP ended ties, Andhra Pradesh too slipped out of BJP-led NDA’s hands. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir was lost to President’s Rule.
Though the BJP continued to advance in smaller states, it received some bigger setbacks. After all, it was not until a carefully engineered coup in Maharashtra saw BJP snatch back the state from the Maha Vikas Aghadi Sarkar, pushing the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition out of power. As Eknath Shinde became chief minister, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis settled for his deputy’s role.
Along the way, the BJP has also lost allies such as the Janata Dal (United), Shiromani Akali Dal, and PDP.
However, not one to rest on its laurels or cry over spilt milk, the saffron party has already geared up for the 2024 general elections. With PM Modi as its face, the BJP is confident of sailing through once again with a margin that could leave its opponents gasping for much-needed relief.
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