This pain became more evident in the recent BJP national executive meeting. The BJP President had to mention that all members of the executive have to be ready with full commitment to ensure the BJP wins all nine assembly polls in 2023. Nadda told BJP state presidents and general secretaries recently, even though he got an “elected extension”. Winning the assembly elections is crucial, as it will lead to the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The BJP President also expressed that their effort to change the ‘rivaj’ (tradition way) of Himachal did not succeed. “We lost with only a small margin of one per cent votes. Earlier, this difference used to be five per cent or more,” Nadda added. Winning Assembly elections is crucial as it will be precursor to Lok Sabha fight next year. In 2023, Assembly elections are due to be held in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir may also see its first Assembly elections since Article 370 was abrogated and J&K’s special status was revoked on August 5, 2019. All these elections are crucial for the BJP but at the same time it is a big opportunity for the opposition to latch on.
Even though the BJP won by a record win in PM Modi’s and Home Minister Amit Shah’s home state, Himachal dulled the sentiment as Nadda himself had led the party’s campaign there. It is surely a burning issue for the BJP President who has been given a ‘graceful extension’ and a yet another chance before the 2024 general elections, which is crucial for the BJP too.
After BJP Chief Nadda chaired the closed door meeting, former Union Information and Broadcasting and Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the media that the BJP chief urged all members to ensure win in all nine assembly elections before 2024. About 72,000 booths were identified in 100 Lok Sabha constituencies where the BJP was weak but the party has reached out to 1.30 lakh booths to strengthen the party base. Obviously issues like Ram Mandir, Uniform Civil Code etc will be raked-up just before 2024 general elections but will it deliver in terms of votes is the question that is worrying the ruling party now.
To support the BJP President, the prime minister also held a mega roadshow in New Delhi ahead of the BJP national executive. Key states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana would go for polls this year, besides States from the North-East.
A series of assembly polls this year are being considered as semi-finals to the Lok Sabha election slated to be held in the summer of 2024. Key states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana would go to polls this year, besides States from the North-East.
Next month, the northeastern States of Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya will be the first to have assembly polls. The terms of their respective legislative assemblies is ending on different dates in March. While Tripura has a BJP government, in Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party is in power. The National People’s Party, the only party from the North-East to have a national party recognition, runs the government in Meghalaya.
The term of the 224-member Karnataka legislative Assembly ends on May 24 this year. Polls in the BJP-ruled State to form a new assembly could be held in late April or early May. During the last part of 2023 would witness a series of Assembly polls with terms of legislative assemblies of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana ending on different dates in December this year and January 2024. For the BJP this year it becomes very crucial for their political success that the opposition remains divided.
