Glancing at the by poll result : Consolation win for the Cong
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: Ocotber 21, 2014 -
Quite complements the observation that nothing can be predicted in politics.
The defeat will obviously wane in the face of the two huge wins and so while the BJP handed out a crushing defeat to the Congress in the Assembly elections of Maharashtra and Haryana, its candidate had to bite the dust in the by election to the Hiyanglam by election in Manipur.
Not just a defeat, but in stark contrast to what unfolded at the two States, it was the Congress candidate who romped home in the by election here.
May not mean much when viewed in the larger context but this definitely runs contrary to the oft repeated observation that when Delhi catches a cold, Imphal sneezes.
A signal that Manipur is immune to what is happening in other parts of the country or a statement that what matters more here are issues that have a direct impact on the lives of the people ?
Or is it a case of the Congress being in a better position to read and understand the pulse of the people ?
These are only probable questions and there can be no definite answers, but the outcome of the by poll is a strong statement that the Congress seems to have taken deep roots here.
Difficult to say where the credit lies, but it is nonetheless significant to note that no leaders from Delhi came to canvas and campaign for the Congress candidate in the by election here.
At the same time it is also important to note that no well known National leader of the BJP came here to campaign.
In fact the only party which sent representatives from outside the State was the Trinamool Congress and interestingly the candidate of the Trinamool Congress came second at the hustings which saw five candidates fighting it out.
While it is more than obvious that the result of the by election will not have any impact on Delhi and the future of the Congress and the BJP all over the country, it should be obvious that the State unit of the Congress is more than likely to tom tom the victory of its candidate as the curtain raiser to the election to the Assembly, when the State goes to polls in 2017.
Just one Assembly Constituency and that too a by election, but it should be more than indicative that the political parties, particularly the Congress will leave no stone unturned to drive home the point that the BJP is yet to open its account here in 2017.
This was the importance of the by election and the importance attached to it can be surmised from the frenetic campaigning launched by all the political parties.
It is early days yet and anything can happen in the years leading to the Assembly election, but what is clear is the point that so far the State unit of the Congress has shown that it can take the battle to any political party, with or without Modi.
The Modi effect has had a telling impact on Maharashtra and Haryana, but it is yet to have an impact on Manipur.
The result of the by election is the proof of the pudding here.
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