‘Vikas Over Hindutva’: Indian & Foreign Media’s Take On BJP’s Loss

Many editorial pieces appearing in the media after election results have focused on a potential Congress revival.

As the results of state elections poured in on Tuesday, 11 December, leading news publications in India and across the world were quick to put out various opinion, editorial and analysis pieces on the trends. With the Congress emerging victorious in the three heartland states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh – but losing out in Telangana and Mizoram, the thrust of these pieces has remained primarily on the revival of the Congress in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.

Here’s our selection of the featured pieces in different publications opining on these election results:

'Indian Voters Give Narendra Modi's BJP a Fright'

A piece titled 'Indian voters give Narendra Modi's BJP a fright' in The Economist predicts a tough fight for the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the general elections, keeping in mind the state election results of Tuesday, 12 December.

The gains for the Congress on Tuesday prove that it is not nearing irrelevancy and "can still muster votes in the heartland", it argues.

“Mr Modi’s party is rattled, and can be expected to adjust its strategy defensively. The state results do not necessarily mean that Congress is poised to vanquish the BJP in the national vote. But they do suggest it is more in the running that it had appeared to be,” the piece says.

'Hope and Humility'

Pratap Bhanu Mehta's opinion piece in The Indian Express says one of the primary lessons from these state elections is a "serious and systematic discontent" produced by India's development model.

“The fact that people have expressed discontent with one dispensation is not proof that they are finding salvation in the other,” Mehta argues.

As far as the Congress as concerned, he says it was only a "moderate tide" in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, when what one expected was a "stronger wave".

Arguing that the most significant benefit for the Congress will not be only numbers, Mehta says the results will mean that the voices running counter to the BJP would gain relevance, with more space being given to the grand old party in realm of public opinion.

'The BJP is in an Unenviable Position'

An opinion piece in the Hindustan Times titled 'The BJP is in an unenviable position' focuses on the rural distress, and a potential crisis in the currency and capital markets which could undermine the BJP in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

“That rural distress would be a big headwind for the BJP’s political fortunes was evident in the 2017 assembly elections in Gujarat... The results of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in 2018 have further strengthened this narrative. These three states are predominantly agrarian, with the share of agriculture in GDP and total workforce in agriculture being higher than the all-India average,” the piece says.

'Modi's Party Is Trounced in India's 'Semifinal' Elections'

The New York Times’ piece on the state elections results from Tuesday, 11 December, begins with a question, asking if PM Narendra Modi is in trouble.

It draws attention to the incidents of mob lynchings and economic distress, especially unemployment and the agrarian crisis, to drive home the point that the BJP's going will not be easy in the 2019 general elections.

“It appears that Mr Modi, who seemed so invincible not long ago, may be vulnerable as his brand loses its lustre. At the same time, the leading opposition party, the Indian National Congress, once considered comatose, has suddenly woken up,” the piece asserts.

'Hindi Belt Reverse: BJP Governments Are Overthrown, Congress Makes Big Advances'

The editorial appearing in The Times of India cautions the BJP that political communication, rhetoric (including "dissing Congress") and a strong ground game are not enough for it to continue making electoral gains. Instead it will have to focus on governance, including addressing the problems of unemployment and agrarian distress.

For the Congress, the piece advises:

“On Congress’s part, there is no room for complacency either in the run-up to 2019... Its only hope for taking on BJP nationally is to form a strong mahagathbandhan... Neither can it confine itself to attacking PM Modi; it will also need to forge a convincing alternative narrative of what it stands for.”

'The Demand for 'Vikas' Has Trumped the Bogey of Hindutva'

The editorial appearing in The Telegraph argues that the BJP's turn towards Hindutva in these elections to conceal its economic failures did not reap dividends.

“These defeats (for the BJP) would contribute to the waning of the myth of the BJP’s political invincibility. Narendra Modi, the BJP’s poll mascot, no longer appears to be the colossus that he was made out to be,” the editorial says.

But the piece takes into account the mixed outcomes – not just the Congress triumphs in the three heartland states, but also its defeats in Telangana and Mizoram – to appreciate the beauty of democracy.

'Northern Comfort: On Congress's Win in Hindi Heartland'

Breaking down the performance of the contesting parties in each of the five states that went to polls, the editorial in The Hindu reminds the Modi government that while the first term is won on promise, the second term depends on performance.

Dismissing anti-incumbency as the primary factor for the BJP's lacklustre performance in the heartland states, the piece attributes it to a "potent mix of rural distress and urban angst".

Making an interesting observation for Telangana, where the Congress alliance lost out, it says:

“United Andhra Pradesh was one state that contributed significantly to the Congress tally in both 2004 and 2009, and to be reduced to such pitiful numbers in Telangana, with little room for improvement in Andhra Pradesh, should certainly be a cause for concern for the national leadership of the party.”