A brief before the upcoming elections
India started 2022 most aggressively. Five elections in 5 of the most important states, after nearly two whole months of polling and an over 50% voter turnout in all states. These elections introduced new faces, new parties, and new coalitions. We saw the end of a political era for some and a start for others. These elections will go down in history because:
1) End of a Congress Era:
The Indian National Congress, which stood as the most dominant political party in India till 10 years ago, has now turned into a dying party. In 2021 it only had 3 states under its control – Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. But after a terrible last year in Punjab – with the poor management of the Farmers Protest, the resignation of Captain Amarinder Singh, and failure to provide an alternative leadership – it faced a terrible defeat in Punjab, with the sweeping victory of the Aam Aadmi Party. From winning 77 seats in the State Legislative Assembly in 2017, it now got a mere 17 seats in 2022. Even the results in Uttarakhand show that Congress is no longer a strong opposition. Uttarakhand was formed in 2000, and ever since has had the BJP and the Congress on alternative years. With the BJP return for a second term, a 20-year-old trend has been broken.
2) AAP as a growing party:
The Aam Aadmi Party’s tremendous success in Punjab shows very well for the party – especially beyond Delhi. Now it acts as India’s only regional party that has governments in 2 states. This gives the AAP a chance to project itself as a key challenger to the BJP – who along with AAP is the only other party with an absolute majority in more than one state. This will give Arvind Kejriwal the motivation to work for national elections and mobilize his party for a win
3) Bright prospects for BJP:
The victory of the BJP in 4 out of 5 of the states is an indication that the BJP will win in 2024, and validation for Brand Modi. In the last year, the party has come under the limelight negatively with the Pandemic and the Farmers' Protests. With the economic drain of Covid-19 and the devastating loss of lives, jobs, and business, the Modi government proved to still be India’s favoured leader. This win is a referendum on Modi’s leadership.
4) Rise of Yogi Adityanath:
Yogi Adityanath broke a 37-year-old jinx and became the only Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh who has managed to secure power for a second term after living through an entire term. He has ensured his government stays in power, has managed the gain support from the most populated state in India, and has become one of the biggest faces in Indian politics.
5) New face for Punjab:
The largest granary in India, Punjab, has found a new party representation. For as long as one can remember, Punjab has had a Chief Minister from either Congress or the Shiromani Akali Dal. The year 2022 has seen a welfare-driven AAP come into power and provide a fresh face with Bhagwant Mann – and that too not an age-old politician, but a former actor and comedian.
So, the results of these elections have proven historic, but their work over the next 5 years will show if they were a good or bad thing. Will the parties prove themselves, or will they make false promises? Will they rise in the face of adversity, or will they be as ineffective as the last government? And will this push other parties to work to prove themselves, or will they just give up? Time will tell.