BJP tightens grip on Hindi heartland with wins in Rajasthan, MP, C’garh

New Delhi: The BJP tightened its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland with assembly victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while the Congress ousted BRS from Telangana on Sunday, the three-one poll score setting the stage - and the mood - for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

As votes were counted for elections to the four assemblies, the leads and wins threw up a BJP-dominated electoral picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imprint writ large. While the saffron party retained Madhya Pradesh with a decisive win, it wrested Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the Congress. The Congress lost those two States but won Telangana from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the upset in the southern state giving the grand old party at least something to celebrate and the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS outfit, hoping for a hat-trick, food for thought and introspection. Interestingly, it is not clear who will be the BJP’s chief minister in any of the three heartland states.

Clouds of gulal, shouts of Jai Shri Ram, joyful jigs and crackers were the sights and sounds of celebration in BJP offices with party workers and leaders unanimous in attributing the win to Modi’s “guarantees”. The BJP’s Chhattisgarh manifesto, for instance, titled “Modi’s Guarantees”, promised annual financial assistance to married women and landless agricultural labourers, paddy procurement at Rs 3,100 per quintal and cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 to poor families “The election results show people accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee of delivering on guarantees,” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

Joshi, who was BJP’s election-in-charge for Rajasthan, also took a dig at the Congress and the promises it made in the run up to the elections. “People have blessed BJP in three states, endorsed Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and rejected Congress’ false promises,” Joshi said. For the Congress, looking for political revival, and the BRS, it was time to take stock ahead of the general elections just six months away. “Congress’ performance in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan assembly polls disappointing,” said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, adding that it will overcome temporary setbacks and prepare fully for Lok Sabha polls along with its partners in the INDIA alliance.

The elections, which set the momentum for the 2024 polls and threw up clear, unambiguous mandates in all four states, saw the BJP and the Congress go head to head in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. And Telangana was a direct contest between the Congress and the BRS. Madhya Pradesh rang the victory bell loud for the BJP by giving it another term in power with the party winning in 166 seats out of 230, well over the halfway mark, and the Congress trailing at 63.

“Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The state is also in the heart of Modi ji,” said four-term Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The BJP has been in power in the state for 18 years. Basking in his hour of glory, he said the state government implemented schemes like the Ladli Lakshmi and Ladli Behna and a lot of work was done for the welfare of farmers, poor people and youth.