BJP Fails To Flex Its Muscle In Assembly Elections, Assam A Consolation Prize
By Countercurrents.org
19 April, 2016
Countercurrents.org
India's ruling Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to flex its muscle in all but one state when results were announced in the recently concluded State Assembly polls. In West Bengal ruling Trinamul Congress led by Mamata Banerjee secured majority with 209 seats, in Tamil Nadu the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam(AIADMK) led by Jayalalitha retained power with 134 seats, in Kerala Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front (LDF) won 91 seats out 140 seats to ensure a majority, in the union territory of Puducherry Congress won a simple majority. It must be noted that in all these states BJP is not traditionally a strong force. Event though, they won a seat for the first time in Kerala, 4 seats in West Bengal, BJP failed to win even a single seat in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. BJP's only consolation came from Assam where they Scripted history, by bagging a government in the North East of India for the first time dethroning Congress.
Ruling Trinamool Congress put up an impressive show in West Bengal by bettering its tally over the last elections. The party, which had won 184 seats in 2011 in alliance with Congress, was today victorious in 209 seats in the 294 member Assembly.
The patched up Left-Congress alliance was not able to make much impact. Congress won in 44 seats and Left Front in 32 seats.
In the last elections, CPI(M) had bagged 40 and Congress 42.
BJP won 4 seats.
Bucking tradition AIADMK retained power in Tamil Nadu. The state had not returned a ruling party to power since 1989. But it was also not a washout for the opposition DMK, which put up a reasonably good show. AIADMK won 134 seats in the 234 member assembly. The DMK alliance won 94 seats. BJP failed to win a single seat in the state.
Kerala kept with its tradition of voting a government out with the Left Democratic Front winning 91 seats in a 140 member assembly. UDF could manage only 47 seats. The BJP managed to win a seat in Kerala Assembly for the first time in its history. It is amply clear that BJP won this seat after a secret trade off of votes between Congress led UDF and BJP. A quick look at the voting pattern at Nemom seat will make it clear as UDF candidate won only 13860 votes!
In Puducherry Congress managed to win a simple majority. Here too BJP failed to win a single seat.
It seems like Assam voted for change. Congress had been in power for the last 15 years. BJP led NDA alliance won 86 seats to ensure a majority. Congress could manage to win only 25 seats in Assam. It's a consolation prize for BJP which was losing elections one after another after it came to power in India two years ago.