Four months after losing its majority in parliament for the first time in a decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a record third term in the northern state of Haryana and scored its best ever performance in Indian-administered Kashmir. The results of the two northern states’ assembly elections announced on Tuesday also represent a significant setback for the opposition Congress party’s bid to end the BJP’s dominance over electoral politics in India since 2014, according to political analysts speaking to Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
The Congress leads the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) that won 234 seats in the parliamentary election, the results of which were announced in June. This forced the BJP, which won 240 seats in a house where the majority mark is 272, to rely on allies to form a government. However, in Haryana, the Congress lost the election despite exit polls predicting it would win comfortably due to anger against the state’s BJP government among various sections of the population.
In Kashmir, the Congress suffered its worst-ever performance in the first legislative election since New Delhi stripped the region’s autonomy in August 2019. Nonetheless, the Congress will still be part of the next government in Kashmir as its regional alliance partner, the National Conference (NC), secured the necessary numbers to lead the next administration.
The results in Haryana and Kashmir have provided a boost to Modi’s BJP, giving them more confidence in New Delhi and strengthening their position for upcoming state elections. The Congress, on the other hand, is facing internal differences and challenges that have hindered its performance in these recent elections.
Overall, the results of these assembly elections will have a significant impact on the political landscape in India, especially for the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi. The BJP’s victories in Haryana and Kashmir signify a shift in the political dynamics of the country, with the Congress now facing challenges in maintaining its momentum and relevance in the upcoming state elections.