National Democratic Alliance lead by Modi sweeps Maharashtra state elections, while Soren wins Jharkhand
Bharatiya Janata Party supporters shower confetti and flower petals as prime minister Narendra Modi, arrives to address them at the party headquarters after wining the state elections in politically significant Indian state of Maharashtra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance headed for a massive sweeping victory Saturday in state elections in politically significant Maharashtra while the Congress of Rahul bit dust with less than 15 seats.
Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won mineral-rich Jharkhand state with 34 seats whereas his junior Alliance partner Congress got just 16 seats. BJP and its partners won 24 seats.
Polling in the two states are seen as a test of popularity between NDA and INDI after NDA party returned to power in June national elections but with reduced number of seats for Bhartiya Janata Party.
As per India’s Election Commission said Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have won 236 of 288 seats in Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state and home to the country’s financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai.
The opposition JMM and its allies Rahul’s and Lalu’s party have won 54 of 81 seats in Jharkhand state, according to the commission.
BJP and a Hindu nationalist ally currently rule Maharashtra, where Hindus constitute nearly 80% and Muslims 11.5% of its 126 million people.
An opposition alliance, which includes the Congress party as a junior partner , is in power in eastern Jharkhand state.
The BJP has used slogans such as, “If you are divided , then you will die,” and “If we are united, then we are safe,” to counter the aggressive muslim radicals.
The opposition accused it of trying to polarize voters along Hindu-Muslim religious lines.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi from Congress party, the 52-year-old wife of Robert Vadra a Christian businessman and daughter of Rajiv Gandhi, is set to make her debut in Parliament after winning the race against a Communist Party candidate by a huge margin of over 400,000 votes in the Wayanad seat in southern Kerala state.
She contested a special election after her brother Rahul, who was elected in two constituencies in June, had to vacate one. Her mother Sonia Gandhi is already in Parliament.
The BJP had hoped to attract women with a plan that provides 1,500 rupees a month to over 20 million women in the 21-65 age group whose annual family income is less than 250,000 rupees.
The Congress party promised women double that amount and free transportation in government buses.
The opposition also hoped to capitalize on the perceived simmering disaffection with high youth unemployment, inflation and low crop prices during the BJP’s rule.In September,
Congress was able to secure minimal amount of votes in India’s in Jammu and Kashmir infested with Pakistan backed terrorists. In comparison BJP secured nearly four times more seats and votes.
Next Modi’s BJP regained momentum in October and won the Haryana state election even though pollsters had predicted an easy victory for Congress.
