Hiccups On The Home Stretch

Will the loss of face in Maharashtra, falling economic graph and rising onion prices take a toll on the BJP’s prospects in the state or will local issues decide the verdict?

- Amitabh Srivastava

Having just swallowed humilation in Maharashtra and the embarrassment of a further slide in national GDP—which is down to 4.5 per cent—not to mention the runaway increase in onion prices, the ongoing assembly election in Jharkhand will test and measure the BJP’s electoral standing. The NDA has lost power in four states in the past 11 months—MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. This election is also expected to decide the fate of some of the state’s prominent politicians. They include current chief minister Raghubar Das of the BJP, Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) and Sudesh Mahto of the AJSU (All Jharkhand Students Union) Party. The first phase of polling for 13 of Jharkhand’s 81 seats concluded on November 30. There will be four more phases till December 20 before results are declared on December 23.

Of course, as conventional wisdom has it, people vote differently in state elections, with local issues taking precedence over national ones. The BJP is also, as usual, banking on the ‘Modi magic’. The prime minister and home minister Amit Shah have already campaigned in the state. The party also has a psychological edge—it has been the single largest party in all the assembly elections held in Jharkhand till date.