Indian PM Modi's BJP loses key state elections

Published December 12, 2018
BJP suffers embarrassing defeat in three state elections in its stronghold just months before national elections. — AFP
BJP suffers embarrassing defeat in three state elections in its stronghold just months before national elections. — AFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered an embarrassing defeat in three state elections in its stronghold just months before national elections.

According to results announced Wednesday by the Election Commission, the opposition Congress party was a clear winner in Chhattisgarh state, and fell one seat short of a majority in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

ANALYSIS: Indian state polls spell setback for Modi, boost for Congress

With a regional party offering support, the Congress party is set to rule all three states.

Voting in the three states was spread over the past two weeks.

The setback to Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to revive the political fortunes of the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi, who took over as party president from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, a year ago.

India's national elections are due by April.

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...