Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced setbacks in two provincial elections, as votes were counted on Tuesday. The elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir were the first test of Modi’s popularity since he returned as prime minister for a record third term earlier in the year. Despite winning the general election, the BJP failed to secure a clear majority, indicating a shift in voter sentiment.
Losing Haryana and not winning power in Jammu and Kashmir is not expected to affect the Modi government’s ability to implement federal policies. However, these results are seen as dampeners for the BJP ahead of upcoming elections in the politically crucial states of Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Exit polls had predicted wins for the main opposition Congress party in Haryana and for Congress and its regional ally National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir.
In Haryana, where the BJP has held power for a decade, the party was trailing with just 22 seats compared to Congress’ lead in 57 seats. In Jammu and Kashmir, BJP was leading in 29 seats while the Congress-NC alliance was ahead in 44 seats. This marked the first provincial poll in the region in a decade, following its split into two federally administered territories in 2019. Both legislatures have 90 seats each.
The upcoming elections in Maharashtra, currently ruled by a BJP coalition, and Jharkhand, where an opposition alliance is in power, are expected to be held in November. A victory for Congress in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir would be a major boost for Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the party. Gandhi, who comes from a political dynasty that produced three prime ministers, has faced criticism for the party’s decline since Modi’s rise to power in 2014.
Gandhi was also the face of the opposition alliance that denied Modi an outright majority in the parliamentary election. He currently serves as the leader of the opposition in the lower house of parliament. The results of these provincial elections will have implications for both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party, setting the stage for further political developments in the lead-up to the upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The shifting political landscape in these key states will shape the future direction of Indian politics.
