Six hours after the counting of votes in assembly elections in Bihar and bypolls in several other states began, one trend was clear—the BJP was emerging as the dominant player. In Bihar, the party was the biggest gainer as it was leading in 73 seats, an addition of over 20 seats from the 2015 elections, while the other parties, including the JD(U), RJD and the Congress were down from their previous numbers. The party was also leading in bypolls in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Karnataka, Gujarat and even Telangana.
As these elections were being held under the shadow of the pandemic, the BJP is likely to term the positive results as people's stamp on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's management of COVID-19, the government's welfare policies, along with the appeal of party chief ministers.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJD was leading in two seats in Odisha, while the opposition Congress was causing an upset for BJP in Haryana, where saffron party candidate Yogeshwar Dutt, a former wrestler, lost.
In Bihar, the trends so far has sustained for the BJP even though only 25 per cent of the total votes polled could be counted in first six hours. The Election Commission officials said the counting will continue till late in the night. The BJP had won 53 seats in 2015, when it contested against JD(U)-RJD combine. With Nitish Kumar by its side, the ruling party appears to be the biggest gainer so far. This, even as Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) is bearing the brunt of the anti-incumbency and Chirag Paswan-led LJP hurting its chances at over a dozen seats.
There were first signs of celebrations at Patna offices of BJP and JDU. However, the party leaders remain cautious till majority of the votes were counted.
In the lone Lok Sabha byelections to the Valmiki Nagar seat in Bihar, the JD(U) had maintained a comfortable lead over the Congress. Till 3.30 pm, according to the Election Commission website, JD(U) candidate Sunil Kumar had got 18,000 more votes than his nearest rival, Parvesh Kumar Mishra. Interestingly, there were over 25,000 votes polled for Nota.
The BJP's dominant position in Bihar, if the trends hold, is likely to queer pitch for having a party CM in the state.
The opposition RJD-led grand alliance was still hopeful of catching with the NDA numbers till the votes are counted late in the evening.
The BJP is gaining also in Madhya Pradesh, where it was leading in 19 out of the 28 seats (it has already won one seat). The Congress was ahead in seven seats, while the BSP on one. The trends are likely to hold as only on three seats, the margin was less than 1,000, while on the remaining seats it was in several thousands. The addition of these seats into the BJP kitty will ensure majority for Shivraj Singh Chouhan government as it was formed after Jyotiradtiya Scindia had switched sides along with his loyalist MLAs. The bypolls were necessitated following the resignation of the MLAs.
Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, the trends showed a faith in the ruling dispensation. In Gujarat, the BJP won one out of eight, and was leading on remaining seven. CM Vijay Rupani hit out at the Congress saying it was no longer a challenge.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was leading on six of the seven seats, while on other Samajwadi Party was leading.
In Karnataka, the BJP was declared winner on one seat, and was leading on the second.
In Manipur too, the BJP had won two seats, and was leading in two others out of the five seats.
In fact, the major news which will bring smiles in the NDA is the party's good show in Dubbaka bypoll in Telangana as the BJP candidate was leading till the filing of this report.
