Ahmedabad: Will the results of five-state elections make any impact on Gujarat politics, especially when Gujarat is going to witness general election of assembly later this year? Well, the cadre of Congress party in Gujarat which is the main challenger for ruling BJP is for the time upset.

In reference of BJP’s victories in Maharashtra and Odisha civic polls, UP and Uttarakhand assembly polls and elsewhere, Congress cadres in Gujarat are discussing; if Modi and Shah are supported in such a big way elsewhere, what are our chances of winning in Modi-Shah’s own state Gujarat, especially when Gujarat remains their only focus for next few months, as barring Himachal and Gujarat, no other state is going to witness the assembly polls by the end of this year!

Those Congress MLAs who have been victorious through their own strength and not because of Congress are confident enough to repeat their performance, but again, on their own strength. They have already started working hard to ensure repeat their victory. Among such MLAs, some don’t deny possibility of joining BJP if invitation is warm enough, local situation is favorable, ticket is ensured and dignity is maintained.

Many Congress men are banking on Patidar factor to help the party in Patidar populated rural constituencies. Such Congress men are passionately observing the changing/continuing trends among Patidar voters in rural areas politically.

Loyalists of Gujarat Congress’s top two leaders believe, the party should project their leader as Chief Ministerial candidate ahead of Gujarat polls in the style of Punjab, as it would be beneficial electorally. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had declared Amrinder Singh as Chief Ministerial candidate of Congress in Punjab. The party won Punjab polls. Victory is majorly attributed to Amrinder Singh who enjoys respect among Punjab voters.

One section of Congress party also believes that party’s inability to form government in Manipur and Goa and sustain the government in Arunachal Pradesh will hurt its image among Gujarat voters. Fence sitter voters going to polling booth in Gujarat will think, the Congress party wouldn’t be able to form and sustain the government if elected with thin majority, and in Gujarat, thin majority is at the most what Congress can get in most favorable situation, but not anything more.

While five-state elections are over, the general elections of assembly in Gujarat are likely to take place in the month of December this year. The present term of assembly will end on 22nd January 2018. There’s lot of time. In this speedy era of news and newer happenings on hourly basis, the result of five states will be forgotten soon. Look at the state elections last year(Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry), people have almost forgotten that season. The details of five-state verdict will also be forgotten by the time Gujarat goes to polls, but the message of the five-state election – which is further decline of Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi and on the other hand power of Modi-Shah – will stay in the mind of people for long, and it would further impact the chances of Congress party in days to come in Gujarat and elsewhere.

DeshGujarat