Congress trounces BJP in Chhattisgarh; the real test for party begins now

The BJP had planned a big party for Raman Singh, who the party thought would break his own record as the BJP's longest serving chief minister. But on Tuesday evening, when the announcement of the results of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha elections was just a formality, his official residence in the state capital wore a deserted look just like the BJP's office near the iconic Ghari Chowk.

As the Pradesh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel was making his 'thank you' speech, there were only a few people who turned up to hear Raman Singh accepting the verdict of the people.

It was the Congress party' s most spectacular victory ever since the BJP came to power in the Centre and the state unit of the party had planned elaborate celebrations just like the BJP.

"They had unlimited resources—cash, government machinery, including manpower. But the people of Chhattisgarh were so harassed by the 15-year rule, they decided not to be cowed down by the BJP", Congress in-charge of the state P.L. Punia said after the party's victory. The people decided to repose their faith in the Congress manifesto instead of the unfulfilled promises of the BJP, he added.

While the BJP projected an image of ' Chhattisgarh shining', the reality was that the state was facing high rate unemployment. "The jobs are all outsourced to big companies who bring manpower from other states" was a constant refrain. Some workers in the Congress office claimed that farmer suicides were alien to the state until the saffron party was voted to power.

Nonetheless, there weren't much talk of anti-BJP or anti-Raman Singh during the poll campaigns; instead there were praises for the development works done by him.

"That is because people are petrified of criticising the BJP. Like elsewhere in the country, here too being anti-BJP means anti-national" pointed out Nivedita Chatterjee, a state Congress secretary.

The Congress, wiser by experience, presented a unified leadership. They also appeared to have picked a few tips from the BJP in the organisational front as the party was more active in the booth level.

All these resulted in the victory of the grand old party which has been celebrated in a grand scale.

Baghel knows that the fabulous win comes with immense expectations. The party' s real test in the state has just begun.