The results of the assembly elections to the five states announced on December 3 and 4 led to many winners and losers for the time being. All of them will be getting another chance to prove their mettle in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Narendra Modi: Modi was the face of BJP’s campaign with the party not declaring its CM names for M.P, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. ‘MP Ke Mann Mein Modi’, the central theme in Madhya Pradesh, became the plank elsewhere as the party tried to leverage his popularity to get past obstacles of unambitious unit in Chattisgarh, fear of anti-incumbency in MP, and leaders who did little ground work to back up their personal ambitions in Rajasthan, besides Congress’s ‘populist’ and ‘caste’ plank.
Amit Shah: BJP wins in MP and Chattisgarh confirm the ‘master strategist’ tag that he earned after scripting the BJP sweep of UP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He chose the two states instead of Rajasthan, which has traditionally ousted the party in office. The victories, especially in Chhattisgarh can be attributed to his shrewd, morale boosting and stern ‘party comes first’ message to self—obsessed locals notables. His success removes any doubt as to who will run BJP’s 2024 Lok Sabha campaign.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan: BJP didn’t name him as CM face in Madhya Pradesh, but he remained at the centre of the party’s narrative about the state’s transformation into an agricultural powerhouse with decent infrastructure. He got the PM’s endorsement as a ‘lokpriya and karmath (popular and diligent) CM. His initiatives like ‘ladlibehna’ and the resultant popularity among women were important factors in the victory. The result is a blow to his rivals in the party He is a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s position again.
Revanth Reddy: Since the day he was appointed the Telangana Congress President, the slim, trim and aggressive Reddy stayed focused on targeting CM KCR and planned BRS’s ouster. His outreach throughout the state boosted Congress, though his unilateral style threatened some leaders in the party. The AICC intervened in time and a chastened Reddy disciplined himself while other leaders were accommodated in organisational roles.
J P Nadda: He assigned himself Rajasthan, where, the revolving—door pattern notwithstanding, BJP faced a challenge because of factional rivalries and Ashok Gehlot’s vigorous populism. He ensured the malcontents did not start mutinies and squabbles did not result in sabotage. The defeat of some senior lights and victory of rebels illustrate the enormity of the task he faced.
Vasundhara Raje: The two time CM didn’t give up when the BJP brass projected a ‘collective leadership’ model instead making her CM face. Impressive turn out of her rallies showed she is the most popular Rajasthan BJP leader, strengthening her claim to a third stint as CM. However, her aloofness during Congress’s entire term, and inability to come to terms with the new BJP leadership and take people along, could go against her.
Jyotiraditya Scindia: Responsible for the fall of Kamal Nath government in 2020, Scindia can gloat over the party’s performance in the Gwalior-Chambal region as most of the Congress MLAs there had joined the Saffron fold with him. Coming after Priyanka Gandhi’s dig about his height, the result may taste even sweeter. He is seen as a candidate for the CM because he is relatively young and his appointment would be a taunt to the Gandhis, to whose inner circles he once belonged.
Big Losers.
Bhupesh Baghel: An aggressive politician and OBC face, Baghel ensured that Congress was connected to the ground through his five years at the helm and made farmers a big part of his voter outreach. But his tenure was marred by a power struggle with colleague T S Singh Deo, and the Centre’s allegation of corruption during last two years. His confidence in his own strategy debarred any fresh thinking. Congress had a poor showing in Chhattisgarh.
The losers list in the Congress Party is long. They include Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot. BRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao whose two term as Telangana Chief Minister came to an end. Is another loser for the time being. (IPA Service)
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