Results of the crucial Assembly elections 2022 were out on Thursday for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. The BJP has crossed the majority mark in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while AAP swept Punjab. BJP has also emerged as the single-largest party in Goa and Manipur.
The counting of votes began across five states, including the bellwether province of Uttar Pradesh, the result of which is widely expected to shape the contours of national politics over the next few years.
BJP's performance in the four states ruled by it, sweeping away opposition parties with its governance model mounted on pillars of welfarism, Hindutva and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unflagging popularity has made it the firm favourite for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, just like its victory in a similar round of polls in 2017 had smoothed out its path for the 2019 general election win.
The astonishing rise of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party outside its Delhi turf, with an unprecedented mandate in Punjab and a toehold in Goa, also foretells a big likely churn in the opposition camp.
The Congress continues to decline and BJP's regional rivals are making their presence felt, even in Uttar Pradesh where Samajwadi Party consolidated anti-BJP votes to a large extent.
