THE BHARATIYA Janata Partys campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections got a significant leg up Sunday with the party winning assembly elections in three of the four heartland states - Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh - and emerging the largest party in the fourth,the national capital of Delhi. Its main rival Congress was virtually decimated in Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh and Delhi,so much so that it came a poor third in the last of the three,unable to even cross the single-digit mark in the city-state it ruled for 15 years and claimed credit for its transformation. The Congress ran the BJP close in Chhattisgarh and was ahead in the initial stages of counting,raising hope that the 4-0 drubbing prediction may not come true after all. However,the neck and neck race eventually saw Raman Singhs BJP squeaking past the post. Sundays equally,if not more,stunning outcome belonged to the Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal. Making its political debut through the Delhi elections,the newcomer won 28 seats to the BJPs 32 while the Congress got a paltry eight in a house of 70. Kejriwal himself ended up as a giant killer,defeating three-term Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in her New Delhi constituency by a whopping 25,864 votes. But the results also meant no party got a majority in the capital and with Kejriwal ruling out support to any political party to form a government,Delhi was staring at uncertainty and possibly the lieutenant governor ruling it until fresh elections. BJP president Rajnath Singh,however,was confident his party would form the government in all four states. Let me make it clear that we will form governments in all the four states and we will have our chief ministers there, he told a news conference,adding that the party gained from the popularity of its PM candidate,Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi,who campaigned extensively in the four states. Modi did not speak to the media but went on Twitter to express his sentiments. The total number of seats Congress has won in all the four states today cannot even match the seats @BJP4India won in 1 state! he said in one tweet. BJP leads/wins 392 of 589 seats whose results available. Great performance,winning around 66 per cent of seats. Congress shrinks,gets 23 per cent of seats, he said in another tweet. I congratulate Rajnathji,party leaders & Karyakartas (workers) for their hardwork in the elections. Stunned by the verdict against the Congress,which also reflected the mood in the country against the UPA government ahead of the Lok Sabha elections,Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi came out to acknowledge the peoples unhappiness over price-rise and other issues and stressed the need for introspection. Shedding the partys reluctance to name its prime ministerial candidate ahead of the elections,Sonia declared the Congress will announce him at an opportune time. Stating that the party was very very disappointed with the results,Sonia,however,suggested this outcome would have no bearing on the Lok Sabha polls since general elections are quite different. We will introspect seriously and we will take all necessary actions to rectify our mistakes or our way of functioning, she told reporters at the AICC headquarters. Asked whether the Congress party would name its prime ministerial candidate against the BJPs Narendra Modi,Gandhi said,people need not worry as,at an opportune time,the name of the prime ministerial candidate will be announced. Initially,she appeared reluctant to give an answer when asked whether Rahul would be named as the prime ministerial candidate. We will make a statement. The party has to decide. The party will decide at the opportune time, she said. Appearing before the media along with his mother,Rahul said the Congress party has to transform itself to stand up. We have to move to a new paradigm and give serious space to the common masses. He said through the elections,people have given us a message,which we have heard. - with PTI inputs
