Recent Assembly election wins may not replicate

The recent Assembly elections in India in which the Congress Party wrested three Hindi heartland States from BJP should alarm the BJP. However, the Congress Party had better not have the misconception that it is their victory. In fact, the BJP lost to Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh because it failed to come up to the expectations of people who were desperate to get rid of a non-performing  government. They rejected the BJP. Since there was no other choice for people in these States which do not have regional parties, they voted or Congress Party. Where there was a regional party, as in Telangana, or in Mizoram, voters rejected both the BJP and the Congress.

These results are not likely to replicate in other Assembly elections or in Parliamentary elections. In large States, like Bihar and UP (Hindi heartland again), there are so many regional parties who have in the past given ample evidence of their sway over voters. The BJP which won a landslide in Parliamentary elections in UP will have a lot to worry, going by its performance in the 3 States it recently lost. It is not the Congress Party which will pose a threat to BJP; it is the regional parties in these two States which have a large number of Parliamentary seats.  In fact, for both the national parties, real threat comes from regional parties. Congress will be handicapper in asking for a bigger slice of seats when it sits down with the partners in alliance which include all kinds of regional parties- BSP, SP in UP, and RJD and other outfits in Bihar.

What the Congress Party need to focus on is good governance which means taking care of the people. May be, the performance of Congress governments as people-friendly governments in the freshly acquired States will send a message to other States and people will regain their lost faith in the Congress Party. It alone can revive the Congress Party. It alone can make once again Congress Yukt Bharat, as against Congress mukt Bharat.