Assembly Elections 2019: Post Lok Sabha, All Eyes On Vidhan Sabha Polls in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir Later This Year
For the Congress-led UPA, which is the country's only major conglomerate of anti-BJP parties, the path to recovery necessitates a turnaround in upcoming assembly polls.
New Delhi, May 28: Results of the Lok Sabha elections 2019 has consolidated the electoral domination of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whereas, the Opposition has faced a near-total decimation. For the Congress-led UPA, which is the country's only major conglomerate of anti-BJP parties, the path to recovery necessitates a turnaround in upcoming assembly polls.
What's Next in 2019? List of State Assembly Elections This Year
A four-state battle is likely on cards within the next six months. The results would reveal whether the saffron camp will continue its upsurge in Indian politics, or be thwarted by the anti-BJP bloc which would be fighting for its survival.
The three states of Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana are expected to be contested in October-November, with terms of the respective assemblies scheduled to conclude in December.
In Jammu & Kashmir, which is currently under Governor's rule, a decision on vidhan sabha polls is yet to be taken by the Election Commission. Speculations, however, are rife that the frontier state would also be contested along with Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana.
In J&K, the assembly was terminated late last year after charges of "horse-trading" were being levelled by rival camps. The state government had collapsed after BJP pulled out of the coalition with PDP in June 2018, leading to a fractured legislature.
In the 2014 polls, the PDP had won 28 seats, BJP 25, National Conference 15 and the Congress 12 out of the 88-member assembly. Post elections, a pact was sealed by the PDP and the BJP to rule the state.
In Maharashtra, where the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition is currently in power, the saffron alliance had trumped the Congress-NCP combine after the latter's 15-year-rule in the state. Notably, all the four major parties had not formed a pre-poll alliance in 2014.
Results were as follows: BJP - 122, Shiv Sena - 63, Congress - 42 and NCP - 41 out of the 288-seat assembly. A post-poll coalition was formed by BJP-Sena to form the next government.
In Jharkhand, the first-ever BJP government since the state's inception was formed in 2014. The saffron party had won 37 out of 80 seats in the last assembly polls, whereas, 4 were bagged by its ally the All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU).
The erstwhile ruling combine of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress were reduced to 8, 19 and 7 constituencies respectively.
Haryana was another state where the BJP -- till then a distant second runner-up -- formed its first-ever government in the state in 2014. The last polls saw the saffron party winning 47 seats in the 90-member assembly. The ruling Congress was reduced from 40 to 15 constituencies, whereas, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was scaled down from 31 to 19 constituencies.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2019 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).