The outcome of the recently concluded Assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory is bound to change the political landscape of the country to some extent.
Share
A lot is at stake for all the political parties vying for the top slot in the recently concluded Assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory. For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a victory in West Bengal is crucial to breach the last frontier in the East. While retaining the state is a big challenge for the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), not only to save the party’s lone citadel from the BJP’s onslaught but also to propel Mamata Banerjee as the most acceptable face in the opposition camp. The Congress, meanwhile, needs a victory in Assam to rejuvenate the party, which has been on the receiving end since the last Lok Sabha poll in 2024, as it has lost all the Assembly elections held since then. Clearly, for the Congress to regain its lost glory in national politics, it should start from Assam to prove to the electorate that it still has the strength to defeat the all-conquering BJP.
On the other hand, losing Kerala may be the most fatal blow for the Left parties, as in that eventuality these parties will have very little or no worthwhile relevance in national politics. In contrast, the DMK is in a relatively easier position due to the failed Delimitation Bill, which is allegedly discriminatory against the South Indian states. Like a seasoned politician, DMK leader M. K. Stalin has wasted no opportunity to reap maximum electoral benefits by raising an anti-North tirade to blunt attempts to dislodge his government by two regional outfits. Thus, the poll outcome, either way, is bound to change the political landscape of the country to some extent.
More than extending its footprint in the East, the BJP will also have to improve the party’s electoral record against regional outfits. Since the rise of the BJP in Indian politics in 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party has virtually gobbled up the century-old Congress on most occasions. But the BJP’s track record against regional parties is not so impressive. With an aim to change this record, the BJP should not remain satisfied only by wresting West Bengal from the AITC; the party will have to win at least a couple of seats in Kerala too.
On the other hand, the Congress should not go overboard even after snatching Kerala from the Left, as power keeps changing in cyclic order there. For the Congress, the real test is in Assam, where despite various permutations and combinations with like-minded political parties, it has failed to dislodge the BJP from Dispur in the last couple of elections. As it is a make-or-break situation for the BJP in West Bengal, likewise the Congress is almost in the same situation in Assam.
The BJP will definitely be over the moon if it wins in West Bengal and manages to retain Assam, as that will further substantiate the party’s claim of being the only national party. For the Congress, AITC and the Left, it is a battle for survival.