While the last word is not heard yet from Rahul Gandhi who mostly remained indoors for over a week now, several Modi-baiters have stopped in their tracks, albeit temporarily. Also, the likes of Mamata Banerjee and Sitaram Yechury who tried to harvest the anti-Modi sentiments and translate this into a new power equation in Delhi have found the reverse happening in the LS Polls 2019. The groundswell of support for Modi was unprecedented. People clearly preferred a second term for him. This however does not mean the people have given their stamp of approval for the BJP in states too. The game at the assembly hustings there, like in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Delhi and Haryana in the immediate future will be worth a watch.
Arvind Kejriwal, still nursing the wounds he suffered in the LS polls, is making a clever bid to retain power even in the face of a massive BJP sweep in the parliamentary polls – where, he says, the fight was principally between Modi and Rahul Gandhi. The offer of free travel facility to women across the board in both Delhi Metro and road transport buses in the run-up to the January-February assembly polls in Delhi might involve a hefty financial liability to the state government, but his AAP might likely reap the benefits by way of women’s support. AAP’s vote share in the LS polls was just 18 per cent, and the BJP won all seats by hefty margins. Out of the seven seats, AAP was runners up in only two. Doles will now be the only way forward for Kejriwal to remain afloat.
In Maharashtra, it will be worth watching how the scenario builds up. Learning a lesson from the LS polls, the Congress party will have a tie-up with Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar. The BJP, though it has a larger clout in the state, has offered the Shiv Sena half the assembly constituencies, meaning the alliance has avoided any squabbles for now. Together, they won just five LS seats – four by NCP and one by the grand old party. Yet, Pawar is still capable of leading a big fight at the assembly segments level.
How the scenario builds up in the coming few months will be crucial for both the BJP and the Opposition parties. People’s mood is unpredictable. Haryana and Jharkhand stood by the BJP in LS polls, but there could be an anti-incumbency mood by the time the assembly polls arrive.