Cong steamrolled, BJP on a roll AAP : Spinning a magical tale
- Sangai Express Editorial :: December 09 , 2013 -

Congress steamrolled with the exception of Chattisgarh. BJP on a roll. At least these two points are clear in the elections in four States, for which results have started coming in.

Not exactly a surprise package but the very, very impressive debut made by the Aam Aadmi Party in the 70 member Delhi State Legislative Assembly has thrown open the power equation, in as far as Delhi is concerned.

A look at the figure should give a better understanding. According to the figures given by NDTV at 5 pm today, the score read as BJP-33, AAP-27, Congress 8 and 'Others' 2 in a house of 70 member.

Single largest party, but it should be obvious that the BJP would not be able to form the Government on its own.

With the two "Others" accounting for 2 seats, the BJP can form the Government as it would have reached the halfway figure of 35, but that would be more or less like a minority Government.

A foregone conclusion it is that the Congress with 8 MLAs would have no truck with the BJP and this is where the role of the AAP becomes crucial and important.

Will Arvind Kejriwal prefer to sit on the Opposition bench with 27 MLAs or will it explore the idea of sharing power with either the BJP and the two 'Others' or with the Congress and the two 'Others' ?

The coming days will surely be interesting, especially if the two 'Others' refuse to go along with the BJP.

These are all speculations at the moment, but if the good showing by the AAP is any indication, then it is damning proof that corruption figures high on the list of the Delhi electorate.

No fanfare, but door to door campaigning on the slogan of anti-corruption. This was the AAP during the election.

It will be interesting to see how the AAP manages to take the movement or campaign against corruption from the streets to the august floor of the Assembly.

For the Congress, which could return only 8 members in the House, it has been a white wash, an innings defeat to borrow a term from cricket.

Maybe it was the anti-incumbency factor coming to the fore (remember the Congress party has been in power at Delhi for three consecutive terms under the leadership of Shiela Dikshit) or maybe it was the ghost of corruption catching up with the oldest political party in the country.

Chattisgarh is another interesting State , where the BJP and the Congress are neck to neck with the BJP bagging 44 seats to the Congress' 43 in the House of 90, with the three remaining seats going to the 'Others'.

A case of Government formation resting on the decision of three 'Others' and perhaps their antecedents may prove crucial. Are any of the three 'Others' rebel candidates of either the Congress or the BJP ?

Whatever they decide, they will be the Kingmakers in Chattisgarh, where the voters came out to vote defying the threats and diktats imposed by the Naxals in the run up to the election.

As for the two other States, the voters have given a clear mandate. The Congress has been outrightly rejected.

A look at the scorecard should underline this. In Madhya Pradesh, in a House of 230, the BJP has done remarkably well with 159 of its candidates getting elected, leaving the Congress far behind with just 62 members, while nine made up the 'Others'.

The rout of the Congress continued at Rajasthan where in a House 200 and for which results have been declared in 199 seats, the BJP has already won 156 leaving the Congress with only 24 while 19 made up the 'Others.'

Though the 'Others' are sure to don the role of kingmakers in Delhi Assembly and Chattisgarh, one common feature that has emerged in the election to the four States, is the near total absence of regional political parties, with the exception of the AAP in Delhi.

An indication that regional political parties are yet to gather steam in the other three States, unlike some North Indian States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and the South, where regional political parties have been the major players, especially in Tamil Nadu and to a certain extent Andhra Pradesh.