Mini general election ahead as 5 States look at polls

While the Assembly polls for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram are likely to be held in November, Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls in December this year

Hyderabad: The high-pitch electoral battle in Karnataka is finally over. But the real acid test for the Narendra Modi-led BJP lies in the upcoming Assembly elections in the five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana in the next six months. Dubbed a mini general election ahead of the major battle in 2024, the forthcoming elections will not be a cakewalk for the Congress either as it tries to cash in on the Karnataka victory impact in the other States.

While the Assembly polls for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram are likely to be held in November, Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls in December this year. Together, these States account for 83 Lok Sabha seats.

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Among these five States, the BJP is currently in power only in Madhya Pradesh. With the party losing Karnataka, it is facing a tough challenge from opponents in all five States. Retaining power in Madhya Pradesh as well as winning the Assembly elections in both Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan has become a compulsion for the BJP to regain its foothold ahead of the general elections. All these major States are important for the party considering their numbers in the Parliament.

Incidentally, the Congress is heading the current governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. After winning the Karnataka Assembly elections, retaining power in both these States will give a major boost to the party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Once a Congress bastion, Mizoram is now ruled by the Mizo National Front (MNF). With strong regional political settings, the MNF as a State party has a strong base across the bordering State and is expected to give a tough fight for both the BJP and the Congress.

A similar situation prevails in Telangana, which is a stronghold for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. After winning the Assembly elections for two consecutive terms, the BRS continues to dominate the State politics and is keen to become the only party to have won for a third consecutive term in any of the South Indian States. Both the BJP and the Congress are vying with each other in the State to make their presence felt.