Congress sweeps three states, BJP retains two

The 2008 assembly elections, which was being seen as the semi-final for the Parliamentary elections due early next year, has brought exuberance for the Congress and mixed feeling for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well.

The outcome has brought some unprecedented result for the Congress, as it has appeared the single largest party in BJP fortified Rajasthan and remained quite successful in retaining Delhi under the magical leadership of chief minister Shiela Dikshit. Congress also registered a clean victory in the Mizoram bagging a two-thirds majority.

As far as the BJP is concerned, it successfully retained the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, its own ruling states, but suffered a crucial defeat in Rajasthan to its chief rival, Congress.

Anti-incumbency factor did not work for Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but favoured in Rajasthan and Mizoram, while it also did not support BJP in the national capital.

Congress got clear majorities in Delhi and Mizoram, but remained slightly short of the majority mark of 101 in Rajasthan as it won 96 seats, while the ruling BJP has won 78 seats, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 6, and others 20.

In contrast to the 2003-assembly elections, except BJP (120) all— the Congress (56), BSP (02) and have improved their performances. CPI (M) has won three seats for the first time, last elections when it had won merely one seat.

In Delhi, terror card could not prevent Congress from winning 42 seats, 5 seats less than the 2003 assembly poll, in the 90-member House, while BJP won 23 seats, three more than the last assembly elections.

Bagging a two-thirds majority in Mizoram, the Congress wrested power from the Mizo National Front after a decade, winning 29 of the 40 seats. Counting is on for the four seats.

In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh though counting is still taking place for some of the seats but according to results announced so far, the ruling BJP is going much ahead of the chief rival Congress party and successfully managed to hold grip on power in these two states on the development plank.