Indian State Elections 2023: Media Meltdown, BJP Triumph, and 2024 Forecasts

This Sunday was a big day in Indian politics, especially for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They totally rocked the elections in three states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. These places had voted for their state assemblies earlier in November. The BJP’s huge win is making waves, and now people around the world are talking about it.

The New York Times, often ribbed as a liberal chatterbox, had to eat some humble pie. They’ve been all about how the “PM Modi Phenomenon” was yesterday’s news, but whoops – looks like they spoke too soon. With the BJP’s stunning victories in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, they’re pretty much the big Macs in this key Indian region now. That’s got to sting for the NYT crew.

NYT had to admit that this was yet another oof moment for the Indian National Congress. According to political analyst Arati Jerath, whom the NYT quoted, the BJP is sitting pretty for the 2024 elections.

The NYT also pointed out that PM Modi’s playing it smart, juggling his image as both a development guru and a champion of Hindu interests. He’s got this knack for using the economy’s resources for catchy welfare schemes, all branded with his name. In states where the local BJP leaders were sweating bullets during the elections, it was PM Modi’s face plastered on posters, and all the handouts to voters were labeled as “PM Modi’s guarantee.”

And here’s the kicker – even the NYT, not exactly a fan club for PM Modi, had to tip their hat to him. They know the guy’s never lost an election and probably won’t until he decides it’s time to chill. It’s kind of hilarious to see the NYT grudgingly give props to PM Modi. They might not want to admit it, but even they know the man’s got some serious staying power in Indian politics.

Diving right in to Bloomberg. Bloomberg was kind of walking on eggshells here, trying to keep things upbeat. They mentioned, “Hey, these state elections aren’t exactly a crystal ball for the 2024 general elections, but yeah, the opposition getting a bit of a thrashing is definitely a win for PM Modi and his crew for the upcoming big game.”

It’s kind of amusing because just a little while ago, they themselves said, “PM Modi’s the man at the center, but state elections? Totally different story.” Well, looks like they might have jumped the gun on that one.

And here’s a chuckle-worthy bit: Bloomberg highlighted how the Congress party, with Rahul Gandhi at the helm, was really hammering on issues like joblessness and caste discrimination. They thought these topics would hit home across India in the upcoming months. But given how things turned out, it’s almost like the voters said, “Nice try, but no dice.” Bloomberg’s cautious optimism kind of paints a picture of someone trying not to look too surprised while secretly thinking, “Well, that didn’t go as planned!” It’s always a bit funny to see big outlets like Bloomberg trying to play it cool while the political landscape does its own unpredictable thing.

Reuters, which usually keeps it pretty straight-laced when talking about PM Modi, chimed in with their two cents. They said, “PM Modi’s still the man to beat after being in charge for ten years, and it looks like he’s set to win again next year.” They also mentioned that there’s this big team-up of 28 opposition parties, called INDI Alliance, led by Congress, aiming to take on the BJP. Sounds like a Supervillain alliance, right?

But here’s the catch – this mega-alliance didn’t show up for the state elections. Why? Because they’ve got some internal drama and rivalries, so it was just the BJP and Congress going head-to-head. Kind of like when you expect a big showdown, but it ends up being just the usual suspects. So, while the opposition is trying to get their act together for the big leagues, the recent state elections were more of a classic BJP vs. Congress face-off.

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So, AFP, another big news agency from overseas, had their take on the recent elections. They’re saying these wins in the three states are like a turbo boost for the BJP and PM Modi. With this kind of momentum, PM Modi’s looking like the guy to beat for his third term next year.

But for Rahul Gandhi, who’s kind of the poster boy for the famous Nehru-Gandhi family, things aren’t looking too bright. He’s 53 and was leading the Congress party’s charge, which was pretty gung-ho and took some direct shots at PM Modi. AFP points out that this whole situation is a bit of a bummer for him. He went all in, but the results? Not quite what he was hoping for. This whole scenario is shaping up to be another uphill battle for Gandhi and his crew, while PM Modi and the BJP are riding high.

The Economist, not exactly known for holding back, came out swinging with their take. They screamed, “Look at this massive political gap between India’s poorer north and the wealthier south getting even bigger.” They pointed out how the BJP nailed it in the recent state polls, the last big showdown before next year’s general election. The BJP snagged wins in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, basically showing Congress the door in these key northern and central states.

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The Economist couldn’t resist a little jab at the BJP about Telangana, saying they didn’t make a comeback. But hold up, the BJP was never in charge there to begin with. It’s like saying, “Ha, you didn’t win the lottery,” to someone who never bought a ticket.

You can almost hear The Economist’s frustration, painting the entire north as this “poor belt.” They seem to forget that Uttar Pradesh is actually on the upswing, growing faster than most. But then, sometimes when you’re bummed about the results, everything looks gloomy. The Economist’s tone kind of gives off this “sore loser” vibe, like they’re struggling to deal with how things are shaking out in Indian politics. It’s a classic case of seeing what you want to see, even if the reality is a bit different.

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