As Cong bolsters presence in South, it's losing grip in North

The Congress wrested a key, resource-rich state in the south, winning Telangana, but lost ground in north India, failing to displace the Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh, and being voted out of power in both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Analysts say the electoral loss has created a larger problem for the largest Opposition party: it has faltered in a region where it needs to drastically improve its strike rate against the BJP.

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"The biggest problem for the Opposition is that the Congress is not able to grow in states where it faces the BJP. In other areas, it plays second fiddle to strong regional parties," said a senior leader from an Opposition party who asked not to be named. Worse still, the loss in the Hindi heartland means the Congress is in power only in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, adding weight to the argument that India's grand old party is becoming a largely southern Indian regional force.