Political managers are keenly awaiting the results of five state Assembly polls next week as this could begin the process of political realignment.
Political managers are keenly awaiting the results of five state Assembly polls next week as this could begin the process of political realignment. While the Congress is cautious in its assessment after the feedback it got following the polling, the BJP was in the fight only in Assam. And the Left and the DMK are expecting some surprises in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Although Assam Congress leaders are predicting that the Congress will emerge as a single-largest party in the Assembly but will not get a majority, the AICC officials are distancing themselves from them and unwilling to share the feeddback. Although, some say the Congress can get seats between 25 and 55, a CWC member said the trend is positive.
As for the West Bengal elections are concerned, the Left and the Congress leaders and even MPs are confident that their numbers would increase and TMC sources felt it was a tough fight this time.
“Forget Muslims, even Hindus have voted differently,” said a senior MP while explaining governance, muscle power and corruption were some of the key issues. But a section of the Left sees that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress could get a second term.
And in Tamil Nadu, the national parties continue to remain an outsider. The BJP is targeting the Congress on AgustaWestland issue on the alleged kickbacks but maintaining silence on the corruption at the local level for the simple reason that it does not want to hurt the AIADMK and the DMK. As far as the Kerala battle is concerned, it is between the UDF and the LDF and others may or may not open their account. Significantly, the elections saw the Congress-BJP’s dependence on the local leaders. Their respective high commands have realised that the local leaders are the “real vote catches”.
A BJP victory in Assam could demoralise the Congress in the upcoming Punjab polls but its defeat will make the fight in UP difficult.
The BJP which had lost the Bihar and Delhi elections due to regional parties (AAP,RJD,JD-U) will have to face the tough challenge from the BSP and the SP in Uttar Pradesh.
