Post Saffron Switch in Northeast, BJP Now Rules 21 of 29 States, Governs Over 70% of India's Population
The Congress, which is facing an 'existential crisis' according to pollsters, has been reduced to four states -- Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram and Puducherry.
New Delhi, Mar 5: The saffron splash in Northeast swept the red bastion of Tripura, apart from putting BJP in place to stitch non-Congress governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya. With the three states coming under the NDA umbrella, the number of states being ruled directly by the BJP, and through alliances, has jumped to 21.
These 21 states account for 70.18 per cent of the population i.e. 84,98,25,030 people reside in them as per the 2011 census. On the other hand, the percentage of population under the jurisdiction of the Congress and its allies has been minimised to 7.53 per cent, or 9,11,83,794 citizens.
BJP wrested 14 states after 2014 Lok Sabha victory
Before the Narendra Modi wave which swept the nation in May 2014, the BJP was ruling in only 7 states, whereas, the Congress was in power in 13.
In the past four years, the BJP's efficient electioneering, combined with realpolitik, has allowed the party to wrest 14 more states.
Over 67 percent of BJP MPs who were elected to Lok Sabha in 2014 hail from the states where the party extended its rule in the next three years.
The Congress, which is facing an 'existential crisis' according to pollsters, has been reduced to four states -- Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram and Puducherry.
Seven of India's 10 most populous states under BJP rule, none under Congress
Seven of India's most populous states - Uttar Pradesh (199 million), Maharashtra (113 million), Bihar (104 million), Andhra Pradesh (84 million), Madhya Pradesh (72 million), Rajasthan (68 million) and Gujarat (60 million) - are being governed by the BJP.
Two of the three remaining states - Karnataka and West Bengal - are under the radar of BJP's master strategist Amit Shah. "The golden period of BJP will begin after it wins Karnataka and West Bengal," Shah said, also including the less populous Kerala in the fray.
Tamil Nadu, another among the ten most populous states, is being ruled by the AIADMK, whose current dispensation reportedly shares a positive relationship with the BJP.
Why victory in Northeast matters
The Northeast, along with the South, is one among the two peripheries of the nation where BJP lacked electoral presence.
Although the party has captured the entire Hindi heartland, the lack of inroads in the southern and northeastern parts of India exposed the loopholes in its nationalist brand of politics.
With the victory in Tripura, and the ouster of Congress from Meghalaya and Nagaland, the BJP is now in power in almost the entire Northeast, apart from Mizoram which goes to polls later this year.
Mizoram is among the four remaining states in India ruled by the Congress.
Although Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya contribute to only five Lok Sabha seats, the victory of BJP is likely to rekindle the Narendra Modi wave -- which critics claimed turned subdued post BJP's lacklustre performance in Gujarat assembly polls, followed by a string of bypoll losses in the politically influential Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The victory, especially in Tripura, goes beyond electoral gains. The crushing defeat of the 25-year-old communist regime in the state signals an ideological victory for the Sangh Parivar. The sentiment was resonated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who while addressing the BJP workers at party headquarters on Saturday, said, "The victory in Tripura is a tribute to our volunteers who have been martyred. This calls for an end to the violent politics of the communists."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 05, 2018 05:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).