Hours after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three Indian states in the Hindi heartland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told party workers that the win formed part of a BJP hat trick that included winning the 2024 election.
Modi also set the tone for the 2024 election campaign and attacked the newly-formed opposition - the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (or I.N.D.I.A for short) - which is an alliance of 20 regional parties with Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
2024 Election Stakes
If the BJP notches up another successive win in the 2024 general election, it would not only mean a third straight Lok Sabha majority, but it would equal an achievement won only by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and his Congress Party to date. Winning a third term means that PM Modi's popularity could be interpreted to be equivalent to that of Nehru.
The BJP has set an ambitious goal of winning 51% of the vote in the 2024 elections. In 2019, BJP won the highest vote percentage – 37.3%, or 303 seats out of 543.
Historically, the highest vote margin was won by Congress in 1984 - 46.4% - after Indira Gandhi's assassination. That year, Congress managed to secure a staggering 414 out of 543 seats.
No Leader as Big in Stature as Modi: BJP
Speaking with Sputnik India, Sudesh Verma, author and BJP politician, said, "The win of BJP in three states is going to boost confidence of the party cadres. In the 2024 general election, we will win 400 seats in the parliament."
Meanwhile, many domestic opinion polls report that Modi's popularity remains intact and that this continues to fuel his party's dominance. He remains the favorite, it seems.
"As of today, there is no one big leader with the stature of PM Modi in the country. People love him and see him as the face of developing India," Verma shared.
Can Congress Make a Comeback in the Hindi Heartland?
Ten Hindi-speaking states send a massive 225 parliamentarians to Delhi, and BJP won 177 of these seats in 2019.
"It's a challenge for Congress to come back and especially in those states where it is in direct fight with BJP," said political analyst Sameer Chougnakar.
In seven Indian states, BJP is in direct contest with Congress, which include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. Congress won only four of the 128 Lok Sabha seats in these regions in 2019.
Congress to Make Inroads in Southern India?
However, Congress seems to have made inroads in the southern states.
In May, it won the Karnataka state assembly election, and in the recent polls, it won Telangana, displacing the Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti.
Factors That Might Help BJP?
Political analyst Sangeet Ragi told Sputnik India that many factors have helped the BJP retain Madhya Pradesh and win other states.
"In Madhya Pradesh, many schemes were launched which were women friendly such as Ladli Lakshmi Yojana (an initiative for improving the health and educational status of girls by providing them financial aid), and Ladli Bahan Yojana (target young women who come from economically weaker sections of the society)," he said.
Chougankar also said that the Modi government launched many welfare schemes for farmers and poor people.
Meanwhile, experts do agree that it is too early to call the 2024 result: it would be best to see how parties are going to campaign in the election and raise the issue before reaching any solution.