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The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance suffered severe jolts in the by-polls to 10 Assembly constituencies and four Lok Sabha seats in 11 States, the results of which were announced on Thursday.
The Opposition, on the other hand, was successful in testing the model of a united anti-NDA front in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, a formula that may be replicated in 2019.
The BJP said the results did not portend adverse results in 2019. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress had become a peripheral player in Indian politics. “Congress is not on the pitch playing the game [but] is relegated to the stadium clapping on the performance of other regional parties.”
Congress spokesperson Pramod Tiwari pointed out that the BJP had even lost in its sitting seats, which was an indication that the people would vote to defeat the ruling party in 2019.
Commenting on the result in the Lok Sabha poll for Kairana, UP, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary said: “We spoke about sugarcane, unemployment and all the missing factors of the Central and State governments. BJP’s entire campaign was negative. Our positive campaign helped us, (Mohammed Ali) Jinnah hara , ganna (sugarcane) jeeta .”
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed the results are not only a result of the unity of secular forces but also show that the vote-share of BJP had declined substantially. “It is a big setback to the BJP-RSS as UP and Bihar gave them an absolute majority,” he said.
Of the four Lok Sabha constituencies that had by-polls, the NDA could retain only Palghar and Nagaland. Kairana and Bhandara-Gondia were won by the united Opposition candidates.
Other results
In Karnataka, the Congress won the election to the RR Nagar Assembly seat, which had been deferred due to allegations of malpractice.
In other Assembly by-polls, the BJP could win only one seat — Tharali in Uttarakhand. In Kerala, the CPI(M) improved its victory margin in Chengannur. The Trinamool Congress’ stunning victory in Maheshtala proved that Bengal’s ruling party remains unbeatable.
In Bihar, the RJD shocked the JD(U)-BJP alliance by winning the Jokihat seat. The SP defeated BJP in Noorpur, Uttar Pradesh. The two seats in Jharkhand remained with the JMM. In Meghalaya, the Congress strengthened its tally by winning the Ampati seat.
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