Congress win sets alarm bells ringing for BJP in the northern states

The results of Vidhan Sabha elections for five states—Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram—have created a ripple-effect in the political sphere of Northern states including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The results have left a strong impact especially on Haryana as the state will witness both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections next year. With the declaration of the election results in five states, the political equations in Haryana and Himachal have started changing rapidly thus sending warning bells to the ruling BJP in the states.

In Punjab where the moral of Congress leaders and workers have been heighten, the , Political pundits feel that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a main political partner of the BJP in Punjab that is currently in a deep political crises, will sustained another major blow with the Congress bouncing back with more strength. The infighting among SAD and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab will give an advantage to the Congress during the ensuing elections.

It is clear that the Modi magic is no more an attraction for the voters now and Rahul Gandhi, All India Congress Chief, has emerged as the strongest Prime Ministerial candidate for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections apart from a major challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tall promises made by the BJP during 2014 elections have proved hollow, they opined.

The Modi wave on which leaders of BJP and Akali Dal in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were riding high has failed to come to the expectations of common man.

The elections results, favouring of the Congress, have forced the BJP and its political partners including Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to introspect their own performance and the false promises made to innocent people.

In 2014 Vidhan Sabha elections, BJP for the first emerged as the single largest political party by winning 47 seats out of 90 in Haryana, Congress could retain only 17 while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won 19 seats. The BJP, in Lok Sabha elections, managed to register victory on 7 seats, out of 10, while the Congress won only one seat, two went to the INLD.

Riding high on the Modi wave, the BJP managed to form government in Himachal Pradesh last year. The state, however, had seen a changed trend during 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP made a clean sweep by winning all four seats in a Congress led government. The BJP won 44 seats while Congress was restricted to 21 during 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections held on 68 seats.

Similarly, the Congress party made a stormy comeback in Punjab after winning 77 seats out of 117 in 2 017 Assembly elections pushing out its main opponent SAD to 18 seats, However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also marked its presence by emerging as the second largest party after winning 22 seats.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, out of 13 parliamentary seats, three Congress candidates registered their victory while BJP won two and the SAD and AAP won four seats each.

The results of assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram have left a strong affect on the Himachal Pradesh politics. The leaders who had already started taking rounds of their constituencies will now start mobilizing the workers and supporters to influence the voters, claim political analysts.

The political equations have started changing in these states with the Congress Party making its comeback in a big way in assembly elections held in five states, they added.

End of the BJP-led NDA government begins: Capt. Amarinder Singh, Punjab CM

Hailing the Congress victory in three states Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh termed it beginning of the end of the BJP-led NDA government in the country. Congratulating the party president Rahul Gandhi, as well as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, for the Congress win in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, he said the party had clearly revived under the dynamic leadership of Rahul.

Reacting to the Assembly poll results declared today, the CM said the Congress performance showed that the party was on an upswing across the country. The results have clearly shown that the people of India were now fed up of the destructive and anti-development policies of the Narendra Modi government and wanted a positive change.

The people of India felt cheated by the failure of the Modi government to deliver on any of its promises made five years ago, he said, adding that, at the same time, they were desperate to see an end to the vicious cycle of communal hatred and violence unleashed by the BJP-led regime, he added.

Alarm bells for BJP and NDA: Akali leader Naresh Gujral

Senior Akali leader Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral, however, has described the assembly election results as “Alarm bells for the ruling BJP and Modi led NDA” ahead 2019 Lok Sabha elections, reports Indian Express.

He feels that the BJP led NDA government worked under RSS’s pressure and strayed away from its poll agenda thus causing discontentment among farmers and unemployed youth.

Dr Ashok Tanwar, Haryana Congress Chief, congratulates Rahul Gandhi

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Dr. Ashok Tanwar, has congratulated Congress President Rahul Gandhi and said that the results are definitely going to give a boost to the spirit of Congress workers and will have an impact on the coming Lok Sabha elections. The verdict, Dr. Tanwar said clearly shows that the countdown of BJP has started.

Failure of PM Narendra Modi: Virbhadra Singh, former CM Himachal Pradesh

Giving credit of the victory to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh said that the results have shown BJP its actual face and reflect the great failure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

No correlation between Parliamentary and Assembly Elections: Jai Ram Thakur, CM, Himachal Pradesh

“The results of assembly elections will have no affect on the Lok Sabha elections,” said Jair Ram Thakur Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, while talking to media persons in Dharmsala. One should not correlate Assembly and the parliamentary elections said Thakur adding that the voters have quite different mindset for the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha elections.