FIVE ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS WILL IMPACT CRUCIAL PRESIDENTIAL POLL FOR CONGRESS, WINNING OF AT LEAST TWO STATES INCLUDING PUNJAB IS A MUST

Election Commission has sounded the poll bugle for Assembly elections to Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab,
Manipur, and Uttarakhand. BJP is ruling in four of the five states except for Punjab. IN Goa and
Manipur, though Congress emerged as the single largest party, the BJP managed to form the government
by dividing the other parties in 2017.
A total of 18.34 crore electors, out of which 8.55 crore are women electors, and 24.9 lakh first-time
electors will participate in the five states, including Uttar Pradesh. So women and youth voters will have
a say in the poll results. Significantly, the voters will exercise their franchise amid a surging third covid
wave.
Why are these polls crucial? With a multi-cornered contest in almost all the poll-bound states, polls will
indicate the direction for the future. Significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping for a hat
trick in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP is trying to retain Uttar Pradesh, which has 403 Assembly
seats. It also has 80 Lok Sabha seats. Whoever wins UP has a significant advantage in bidding for power
in 2024.

Secondly, it is a contest between brand Modi and the entire opposition. It is also held during the mid-
term for Modi's second innings. As the country copes with the continuing Covid, it will be a test for the
prime minister to ensure that his popularity is intact. He might have an advantage over a divided
opposition.
Thirdly, the BJP depends totally on Modi as the party has not developed any strong state leaders except
in U.P. Prime Minister has been its poll mascot.
Fourthly, it will also be a test for the incumbent U.P chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He is staking all to
win the state again, whereas in the 2017 polls, he was merely an M.P, and the party chose him after the
elections. He has spent huge money on advertisements for propagating his achievements in the past few
months. But historically, no one has won a second term since 1985 in the state.
Fifthly, it will be a fight for survival for all the regional players like Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati,
Priyanka Gandhi, Jayant Chowdury in U.P Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav sees the fight as a real
contest between the S.P and the BJP. However, the opposition is at a disadvantage, because of the multi-
cornered contest. Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have fared poorly since 2014. BSP chief
Mayawati, who ruled U.P five times earlier, has been quietly working for her return. Priyanka Gandhi is
the face of the Congress, but she is yet to prove her vote-catching capacity. After the death of RLD
leader Ajit Singh, his son Jayant has not yet established himself.
In four states- Punjab, Manipur, Goa, and Uttarakhand — there will be a direct contest between Congress
and the BJP. Any additional win for Congress will give it boost. The party should at least retain Punjab
and grab Uttarakhand. Besides, two other regional parties, AAP and Trinamool, are also testing their
luck.
Sixthly, political parties exploit caste, religion, development, and covid handling as issues in these polls.
Caste has always been a factor in the northern belt, as people cast votes for their caste. BJP will be
touting the building of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, which has been its long-time poll promise. On August
5, 2020, Prime Minister symbolically laid the foundation with a 40 kg silver brick for the Ram temple.
For the voters who believe in religion, this is a big issue. Kashi Viswanath temple also had a facelift.
The BJP touted this as a golden chapter in the party’s history.
Seventhly, the results will signal whether the regional parties are the real challenger to the surging BJP.
In most states, particularly in U.P, the regional parties are fighting for their survival.

Eighthly, the results might impact the upcoming presidential polls in June-July, since the MLAs form
the electoral college. These results will also decide the fate of 680 Assembly seats in these five states
and 19 Rajya Sabha seats.
Last but not least, the covid handling and the return of the third wave would directly impact the ruling
BJP at the Centre and in the BJP ruled states. IN the previous Assembly polls held in the first half of the
year, the ‘Netas’ who addressed huge poll rallies were considered the super-spreaders. This time the
Election Commission has banned physical rallies to check the covid.
On the whole, the assembly polls would be a nail-biting event for all the stakeholders. March 10 will
reveal whom Dame Luck will favour.