Assembly Election Results 2023: The BJP is surging towards victory in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and holding a notable advantage in Chhattisgarh. Simultaneously, the Congress appeared poised to unseat the ruling party in Telangana.
As Assembly Election Results 2023 were tallied for the four states, trends on the Election Commission’s website show a pro-incumbency wave in BJP-led Madhya Pradesh, contrasting with an anti-incumbency sentiment in the Congress-governed states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The elections, which set the momentum for the 2024 polls, have seen the BJP and the Congress go head-to-head in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Telangana was a direct contest between the Congress and the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) that was hoping for a hat-trick. But, how did the BJP sweep the show in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh? Here is all you need to know.
What was BJP’s game plan to retain power in Madhya Pradesh?
The electoral contest went completely wrong for the Congress in Madhya Pradesh where they were pinning their hopes on a return to power. The party relied on older leaders like Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh who had no answer to BJP’s grand plan for the state.
Congress focused on promises and freebies, meanwhile, BJP, led by PM Narendra Modi, used social schemes. like ‘Ladli Behna,’ effectively. They brought in central ministers and MPs to support their campaign.
Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia credited incumbent chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan for the results showing a comfortable lead for the party in the polls.
“I express my gratitude to every single person of the state. This is the result of the BJP’s double engine government, PM Modi’s leadership, guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shahji, and party president JP Naddaji, and welfare schemes implemented by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan…Ladli Behna scheme is a game-changer and the full credit for it goes to Shivraj Singh Chouhan,” Scindia said.
What led to BJP’s win in Rajasthan?
Congress in-fighting and corruption charges against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other leaders acted as an advantage for the BJP.
In Rajasthan, the red diary has caused quite a stir in the state after the sacked Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha had claimed that the “red diary”, which he secured from the residence of Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore during an Income Tax raids in 2020, allegedly on the directions of Gehlot.
The BJP was cruising to victory in Rajasthan with its candidates winning from 16 seats and leading in 99, while the Congress won from five constituencies and was leading in 64, according to Election Commission trends available on Sunday for the assembly polls.
Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje won from the Jhalrapatan seat. Among the other BJP candidates who won are Diya Kumari from Vidhyadhnagar, Samaram from Pindwara Abu, Govind Prasad from Manohar Thana, Jaswant Singh Yadav from Behror, Mahendra Pal Meena from Jamwa Ramgarh, Anita Bhadel from Ajmer South and Madan Dilawar from Ramganj Mandi, the EC announced.
How BJP build its case in Chhattisgarh?
It is highly speculated that allegations against Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over Mahadev betting app led to the defeat of Congress in Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.
The BJP, all through its high-voltage campaign in the state targeted the Congress government led by CM Baghel on alleged scams, corruption and the ‘hawala money funding’ related to the Mahadev app.
During aggressive campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raked up the issue of the Mahadev app ‘scam’ and asked the Congress to reveal how much money the Chief Minister got and how much of it was transferred to the party’s high command.
However, refuting the allegations, Baghel earlier said, “Can there be a bigger joke? If today I catch hold of someone and ask him to take PM Modi’s name, will they (ED) interrogate him? It has become very easy to toss someone’s reputation.”
“People have blessed BJP in three states… endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and rejected the Congress’ false promises,” Union minister Pralhad Joshi said as counting day progressed and celebrations broke out in BJP quarters in several places.
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Updated: 03 Dec 2023, 04:12 PM IST