FUTURE OF 'BIGWIGS' HINGES ON ELECTION RESULTS

Fate of state leaders are at stake in the five states where elections were held last month.

- AJIT MAINDOLA

The high-stakes elections that concluded in the five states will decide the political future of several heavyweight leaders in the states, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former MP CM Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.

The political stature of these leaders will grow if they win. Questions will be raised over their political future if their parties lose. Though these five state elections cannot be termed semi-final before the Lok Sabha polls, the victory will mean a lot for the political parties that are gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections early next year. Congress will gain strength at the central level if it wins four of the five states, including Rajasthan. If Congress and BJP win two states each, then it will not have much political implications for the central level politics.