Big win for bjp

Cong decimated by Modi wave in all four states Stunning victory for AAP; Cong rethinking on Rahul

• BJP wrests Rajasthan from Cong; Shivraj, Raman Singh score hat-tricks in MP and Chhattisgarh, single largest party in Delhi; Dikshit loses by 25,000 votes to Kejriwal
• BJP to go aggressive in parliament; will cast its shadow on Lokpal, Communal Violence and Telangana Bills

New Delhi: In the crucial semi-finals, the BJP has come out victorious, routing the Congress by 4-0 by sweeping the elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, while managing to win in Chhattisgarh and Delhi, despite the presence of Aam Aadmi Party. The defeat is seen as loss of confidence in the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the emergent leadership of Rahul Gandhi, who had widely campaigned for his party, making it Rahul versus Modi in the elections.

The Congress seems to have rethinking on Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate, with Sonia Gandhi saying that the party will announce the candidate at an opportune time. This was again confirmed by Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi, who said the party was not in a hurry to name its prime ministerial candidate.

Modi’s juggernaut that rolled out in all the four states is now expected to surge ahead in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, while the Congress will have to seriously ponder over the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, who failed to make an impact on the people. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tendered her resignation after the Congress was decimated by the BJP and debutant Aam Aadmi Party.

With the Congress decimated in all the major Hindi-heartland States, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will have to train his guns against the regional parties as well, who can play a spoiler on his pathway to the top post in South Block.

The victory of the BJP in Rajasthan by a record margin is being termed as a vote for Modi, who had campaigned vigorously in the State, causing sharp polarisation. Rajasthan BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje Scindia gave full credit to Modi for the party’s sweep in the State.

The hat-trick of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is being seen as the vote in favour of the development work in the two states. Despite the mass killings of the Congress leaders in the Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, the Congress failed to benefit from the sympathy in its favour. While it was a close call initially, the BJP managed to emerge victorious with 49 seats in the 90-member Assembly.

Modi’s victory in all the four states will quell the dissidence against him if any, both within the party and outside. The NDA Allies will be in no position to question his supremacy as the victory is the vindication of his campaign strategy and his oratorial skills. Narendra Modi will now be seen more in Delhi than in Gujarat, holding the dual position of campaign in-charge and Chief Minister.

In the Winter Session of Parliament that actually gets kick-started from Monday, the BJP is expected to get aggressive, buoyed by its impressive performance at the hustings. There will be more hootings against the Congress leadership and the Prime Minister, with the principal Opposition party virtually dictating its terms in the running of the legislative business of the House. The victory will cast its shadow on the Prevention of Communal Violence Bill, the Lokpal Bill and the Telangana Bill that are all lined up in the last session where legislative business will be transacted. In the next session, the Budget Session, only Vote-on-Account will be sought before going to polls.