Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earned a boost to his reputation following the ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sweeping polls in three states.
The development comes ahead of a national election that is due to be held in May. Last month, the central states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the southern state of Telangana voted in the last set of provincial elections prior to the national poll.
BJP Sweeps Polls in 3 States
The polls showed that the BJP comfortably won Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the main opposition Congress and retained Madhya Pradesh. The party's performance this time was much better than widely expected, as opinion and exit polls had suggested a close contest between Modi's party and Congress.
The Indian prime minister remains widely popular even after a decade in power, and surveys suggest that he is expected to win again next year. However, Congress leads a 28-party opposition alliance in a bid to fight against the BJP, posing a renewed challenge to the ruling party, as per Reuters.
However, the alliance did not feature in the state polls because of internal rivalries and because it was a direct contest between BJP and Congress. While the latter won Telangana, which is its second victory in the south this year, the outcome of the polls on Sunday is seen as a setback.
The four states are home to more than 160 million Indian voters and account for 82 seats in the 543-member parliament. In a statement, BJP President Jagay Prakash Nadda said that they will always win the heartland states. He added that the results of the votes are the outcome of their finest political strategy and work on the ground.
Modi later said to jubilant BJP members at the party headquarters that the results of the polls suggested a third term next year was all but guaranteed. He added that they indicate that the people of the nation are firmly in politics of good governance and development, which he claimed BJP stands for.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Popularity
A political commentator based in New Delhi, Asim Ali, said that Modi's appeal was still very strong in the Hindi heartland. He added that the prime minister and his allies would most likely get a free hand to run the 2024 campaign. Ali noted that if the BJP did badly in the elections, dissension would have started, according to the Financial Times.
A BJP minister, Smriti Irani, said that the results of the votes were evidence of "Modi Magic," which is something that party loyalists call the prime minister's personal popularity and ability to win votes in India.
Modi's party leaned heavily on him to lead its campaigning for the elections, which were staggered over November. He spent several weeks traveling across the states to tout the ruling nationalist party's record.
A New Delhi-based political analyst, Arati Jerath said that when Congress goes up against the formidable organizational and electoral machinery of the BJP, it collapses. He added that this is the BJP's big advantage coming into the 2024 elections, said the New York Times.
