Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are often considered the bellwether for Lok Sabha elections. The state, with 80 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats can effectively decide who will form the Union government. And with the BJP delivering a stunning performance by winning 255 seats, several regional parties from the southern states, who wanted to take on the party, are having a rethink on their strategies.
“After the UP elections, it looks as if the Congress has lost the might to fight the BJP for now. For all the regional parties to form a coalition, we need one national party who can take everyone along. This seems unlikely now,” says Tanveer Ahmed, national spokesperson of the Janata Dal (Secular). A JD(S) insider however said they would continue to oppose them as their politics is diametrically opposed to the BJP’s ideology.
The JD(S) had formed a government together with the BJP in 2006, withdrawing its support two years later in 2008, which led to the collapse of the government. Since then, the JD(S) has opposed the BJP politically. The JD(S) insider said the party had several leaders trying to project themselves as prime ministerial candidates, but the UP election results have poured cold water over their aspirations. “These leaders will continue portraying themselves as potential PM candidates, and closer to the 2024 elections, they will again try to cobble together an alliance. But many among them are contemplating joining hands with the BJP in case they fall short of the numbers. This seems to be the likely scenario,” the leader added.
Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has maintained a cordial relationship with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah but faces regular flak from the Andhra unit of BJP. “We inherited a huge debt and our state economy is in shambles. We cannot antagonise the Union government,” says a YSRCP MLA. He however said they will continue to fight the BJP in the state. “They have made several personal attacks against our leader, over his religion and we have countered all these allegations. Jagan enjoys a personal rapport with PM Modi and that will continue but we cannot ally with the BJP,” the MLA added.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a strident critic of BJP, has plans to sharpen the attack on the party, said sources close to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). “The Union Government has to give funds that are due to the state, irrespective of which party is in power. So there is no question of not calling them out when required,” a party source said. Recently, KCR unleashed strong criticism against Modi and the BJP on several issues. These issues were not limited to Telangana.
The DMK leadership feels that BJP would create problems for its leaders by deploying investigating agencies after them. However, as the power tussle within the AIADMK has weakened the party, the BJP's immediate plan is to tap into the anti-DMK vote base and project itself as the real opposition on ground.
TKS Elangovan, Rajya Sabha member of DMK said: “We want money from the Union government and a proper share in the GST revenue. It is the duty of the Union government to support the state. Policy-wise we are opposed to religious polarisation. So we will continue to fight against the policies of the BJP government. An election victory will not change our policy,” he said.
With inputs from Shabbir Ahmed