As the count progresses in the states of Madhya Pradesh, the state is shifting towards saffron. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and supporters took to the streets and started celebrating by dancing and chanting slogans as trends predicted a comfortable victory for the party.
Workers distributed sweets and chants of “Modi, Modi” began to ring out loudly. According to the latest data, the BJP won 162 seats out of the 230 seats in the Assembly. The Congress is lagging behind with 66 seats. With its numbers, the BJP surpassed the target of 116 to secure a victory in the state. This is also a much better performance than the party’s performance in previous polls: the BJP then won 109 seats, compared to 114 for the Congress.
The possible victory in the state flies in the face of exit polls, which predicted a close race and some even gave the Congress an outside chance of ousting the BJP from a state it has dominated since 2003. Four of the nine exit polls gave the BJP a comfortable victory; three gave it more than 139 of the 230 seats in the Assembly.
Find all live results updates HERE
The BJP has won three of the last four elections – since Digvijaya Singh led the Congress to consecutive victories in 1993 and 1998. These victories were the last time Congress defended the state.
Several BJP leaders themselves also celebrated the party’s expected victory, with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying, “I had said that the BJP will get a comfortable majority and we are getting it.” »
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also intervened, saying, “This is a big victory for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP government has done a job, people have faith in the dual engine government, PM Modi’s leadership and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s performance. I congratulate everyone.
As the celebrations unfold, we decode the party’s victory in the state and the possible reasons behind it.
Importance of Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Perhaps one of the main reasons for the BJP’s expected victory in the state is Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Although he hasn’t been the face of the party’s campaign this time around — there were fears that anti-incumbency sentiments might work against him — it’s hard to gloss over his importance to the party.
Chouhan, popularly known as Mama, who served as chief minister four times, continued to work in the state and used his humble image to attract voters. He also wasn’t afraid to show his emotions to the public – sometimes he shed tears while reaching out to voters and at other times he told voters they would miss him when “I’m gone.”
Also read: 2023 election results: who is ahead, who is behind?
He also focused his campaign on women; he was the star of his government’s “The Ladli Show”, where he answered girls’ questions. At an event in Burhanpur, he also washed the feet of two women, who then covered him with flower petals.
And despite the internal struggles within the party, Chouhan persevered and unlike other leaders elsewhere, like Vasundhara Raje, he kept his discontent silent and never expressed or indicated his resentment towards the central leadership.
In fact, even at a time when the results pointed to a BJP victory, he attributed it to Prime Minister Modi, rather than himself. “Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The state is also the heart of Modi ji. There is immense confidence in him. He held public meetings here and appealed to the people, which touched people’s hearts. Such trends are a result of this,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the election campaign took the right direction due to the surefire strategy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the guidance of BJP leader JP Nadda, and other leaders and hard work. party workers.
The power of women
An important factor in the BJP’s victory in the state could be the focus on women voters. Women’s participation in the state has only increased over time. Data shows that women’s voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh was 65.9 percent in the 2008 elections. This increased to 70.1 percent in 2013, 74.0 percent in 2018 and 76. 0 percent in the current parliamentary elections.
Realizing that they constitute a crucial vote bank, the BJP has launched welfare programs targeting them, in a bid to woo voters. There is the Ladli Behna scheme, launched this year, which provides financial assistance worth Rs 1,000 per month to eligible married women aged between 23 and 60 years.
There is also the Ladli Laxmi scheme, launched by the Chouhan government in 2007. This policy requires monetary assistance from the state for the education of girl children.
Reacting to the results, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said “projects like Ladli Behna and Ladli Laxmi have touched the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh.”
Analysts believe many feared that a change in government in the state could suspend or delay any future payments and therefore did not vote for Congress.
Congress failed to maintain its lead
Aside from Chouhan’s influence and social programs, many analysts note that once again, Congress has failed to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiment. The Grand Old Party was also unable to make the final push.
A BJP functionary told Indian Express“On polling day, 90 per cent of our polling booth committees were functioning by 8:30 am while the Congress was struggling to set up its polling booths even at 9:30 am. The high percentage of voter turnout in the first half itself is due to our mobilization.”
Many polling experts also noted that Congress was unable to support its own campaign with strong messages.
Within the Congress, there is also a belief that the denigration of Sanatan Dharma could have played a role in their downfall. Congress’s Acharya Pramod Krishnam said opposing Sanatan Dharma had sunk his party.
With the contribution of agencies
firstpost
