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CoverStory PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

Both of them were projected as unofficial chief min- The things are not quite right for Modi on other
isterial candidates. The vote share in Chhatisgarh fronts too. The Supreme Court is to deliver judgments
suggest that his social strategy worked well and the on the CBI controversy and hardliners in Sangh Pari-
party could win a landslide victory. var is likely to accelerate the Ram Mandir movement.
In addition to forging state specific social alli - This will not be easy for Modi to handle. If RSS goes
ances, Rahul built up common narrative for the slow on the issue, it will be difficult for the organiza-
states against corruption, unemployment and farm tion to push it again. However, a practical assessment
distress. The results show that BJP’s social strategy by BJP leadership may not opt go for an increased
in states failed to deliver this time. These strategies momentum to the issue for it has failed to help BJP in
had its routes in Vajpayee era. Party had an OBC as retaining the Hindi states. Yogi Adityanath failed in
the leader and a Rajput, a dominant caste in the state, polarizing people I the states by his sloganeering on
as leader. The party had considerable support base
among Scheduled Castes in MP. In Rajasthan, it had
the support of Jats and Gujjar. In Chhattisgarh, the
party was strong Scheduled Tribe dominated areas. The recent Assembly
The party seemed to have lost ground among these
communities. The most unlikely of the development election victory in
was desertion by Jats and Gujjars.
The most interesting outcome was in Telangana. three key states is
The astounding victory of TRS in the state has lot of
political implications at the national level. The dis-
mal performance of TDP in the state will impact its likely to strengthen
alliance with the Congress. Another thing would be
renewed effort by Chief Minister KCR to forge a Fed- Rahul Gandhi’s position
eral Front without BJP and the Congress. His effort Congress loses last
would affect both the national parties because he within the party as well
would try to woo people like Nitish Kumar, Arvind
Kejriwal, Navin Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee. This as he will emerge as
would affect the overall national discourse on al- bastion in northeast
ternative to Modi. KCR may not get much success in a centre point of the
his effort but he would certainly spoil prospects of
Congress to a great extent by shifting the discourse
on alternative. opposition unity
Telangana results has also impacted BJP in a big The Assembly polls outcome brought smile to the BJP, which has opened the
way and stopped its march in south India. The party
was eyeing for an expansion and had made some account with a seat for the first time in the frontier State, bordering Myanmar in
inroad in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It was the east and Bangladesh in the west, writes NAVA THAKURIA
trying to project itself as a national alternative to the the issue. Even PM Modi wanted to corner Congress
Congress in the region. The party will have to recon- on the issue. However, it would be impractical on the
cile to a marginal role in the region. part of the Congress to expect the RSS to go silent on s predicted the last bastion of ladesh in the west. And finally the saffron Pu Lalthanhawla led Congress has been
Modi cannot be expected to quietly accept the the issue. The demand for a legislation for a temple in Congress in northeast India has party has fulfilled its dream to erase the restricted into five seats only. Even the
debacle as it is. He has been looking for change in his Ayodhya will be made by the organization is almost fallen and its rival Mizo National Congress rule from all eight States of the five-time chief minister Lalthanhawla
banking policy for quite some time. In fact, his con- certain. The Congress has to counter it a proper strat- A Front (MNF) emerged victorious. region, which was otherwise identified as lost in two seats namely Champhai South
frontation with the Reserve Bank of India is largely egy because Owaisi and others are there to help BJP After two consecutive terms, the ruling a stronghold for the oldest party of India. and Serchhip Assembly constituency. In
political. He is trying to use the reserve of the apex in polarizing the atmosphere. Congress faced tough challenges from the Pu Zoram Thanga led MNF won 26 the outgoing Assembly, the Congress had
bank to finance his welfare programs for small busi- Rahul has also face the challenge of good govern- MNF in the Assembly elections held on 28 seats in the 40-member State Legisla- 34 legislators, where MNF had only five
ness and farming people. The government is also ance in the states the Congress has won. He has to November and finally lost its claim, paving tive Assembly, where the former chief members. Significantly there was only
trying to stop the downslide of the economy by fulfill some of his promises before the 2019 polls. It the way for emerging a ‘Congress Rule minister recorded victory from Aizawl one lady legislator (of Congress) in the
recapitalising banks that are not performing well. would not be easy for him because he has a hostile Free Northeast’ since the independence. East Assembly constituency paving the Assembly and this time no woman candi-
The government is getting pressures from corporate government at the centre. The centre will not help The Assembly polls outcome, which was way to become the next chief minister date could win the electoral battle.
to do it urgently. This is the reason former finance him financially in waiving farm loans or giving Mini- declared on 11 December, also brought of Mizoram. An insurgent leader turned The picturesque State has already
secretary has Shaktikant Das has been made gov- mum Support Price. He has to invent his own way to smile to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), politician Zoram Thanga maintained that earned appreciations for the remarkably
ernor of RBI. A bureaucrat without any degree or run these states till the Lok Sabha polls are over. which has opened the account with a the MNF would continue its alliance with peaceful elections, where over 80 percent
research experience in economics is expected to seat for the first time in the frontier State, the BJP led National Democratic Alliance electorate out of over 7,70,000 voters ex-
completely toe the government line. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM bordering Myanmar in the east and Bang- at the Centre. ercised their franchise through electronic

TEHELKA / 31 DECEMBER 2018 16 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 31 DECEMBER 2018 17 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

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