THREE MORE YEARS

THE BJP WON 19 OF THE 28 SEATS THAT WENT TO THE POLLS; THE CONGRESS WON JUST NINE

- Rahul Noronha

The BJP’s emphatic win in the byelections to 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh has smoothed the way for the saffron party’s rule in the state for the next three years. The party won 19 of the 28 seats that went to the polls, more than every survey, official or unofficial, had predicted, and more than what the BJP itself had projected. On the other hand, the Congress fared worse than surveys predicted, falling far short of its farfetched hope of returning to power, winning just nine seats. Between these over-and-under-achievements lies the story of MP’s biggest byelections in recent times, necessitated by the defection of 25 Congress MLAs to the BJP since March this year.