Maharashtra, Jharkhand Poll Outcome to Influence Politics in 2 Cong-Ruled States

Bhubaneswar: (Ajoy Kumar Misra) The outcome of election results in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in all likelyhood will have tremendous effect on two Congress ruled states—Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. It is not certain that the governments in these two states will fall but in all probability there shall be unstable governments as the party in these two states in mired in internal strife.
This is mainly because of the result of the recently concluded Haryana election where the Bharatiya Janata Party negated the anti-incumbency factor to return to power for the record third successive term trouncing Congress. The Congress has become subdued after the poll results and is in a precarious situation in the INDIA block.

While discussing the issue it is pertinent to consider why such an apprehension has arisen. The Congress returned to power in Karnataka with good majority and has been running nearly smoothly till the probe into the alleged corrupt practices of Chief Minister Siddharamaiah—allegedly involved in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. Siddharamaiah’s wife bagged as many as 14 plots worth several crores. The issue went to Lokayukta and High Court and the Enforcement Directorate entered the scene.
After this happened, reports started circulating in social media about Deputy Chief Minister D Shiv Kumar trying to topple Siddharamaiah and succeed him. Shiv Kumar was a top contender for the post after the assembly elections. But Siddhu was selected for the post reportedly due to his closeness with the Gandhi family—especially Rahul Gandhi. Shiv Kumar , though had blessings of Priyanka Gandhi missed the chance.

When the Maharashtra and Jharkhand results are announced, the ‘charisma’ of Rahul Gandhi shall be on test. If by chance the BJP fairs better in the polls, the chances of Siddharamaiah will become weak as Shiv Kumar shall be in a position to assert himself and project himself as a strong contender in view of the probes against Siddhramaiah. Shiv Kumar, as president of Congress unit in the State, had ensured party’s victory in the Assembly elections as he had the backing of the Vokalingas. He also had a fairly good hold on the Lingayats in the state who had swayed away from the Bharatiya Janata Party or its its ally the Janata Dal (S).
In case the BJP fairs better in the polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the fence sitters in the Congress will be forced to think of a shift in an uncertain situation due to the bickering among the Shiv Kumar and Siddha factions within the party.
In Himachal Pradesh too, Congress will be in a piquant situations as there also exist factions within the party as evident during the Rajya Sabha election in which party’s senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi was humbled by BJP candidate.
Minister Vikramaditya Singh and mother Prativa Singh are at loggerheads with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu. The BJP is enjoying the political situation in Himachal and would not hesitate to trigger a split in the party on the lines of the one Jyotiraditya Scindia did in Madhya Pradesh to topple Kamalnath’s government.

However, Telangana is unlikely to be affected in any way as Chief Minister Revant Reddy is presiding over a government with a thumping majority. His only issue shall be the manner he runs the government which is not in line with the thought of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi never misses an opportunity to attack the corporate giants Goutam Adani or Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani while Reddy rolls out the red carpet of Adani to invest in the state. Notably, Himachal Pradesh perhaps is the only state in the entire north India while Karnataka is the second state in the southern part of the country where Congress is in the saddle on its own.