The Congress won in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — and, with it, the ability to make a serious bid to unseat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the general elections due in early 2019, though Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s standing both as an unmatched force in Indian politics and an unyielding electoral tactician was again on display because of the BJP’s better-than-expected showing.

A day after the election verdict, the numbers suggest that angry farmers could have derailed the BJP in the Hindi heartland.

In Rajasthan, 59 constituencies saw farmer protests and the Congress gained 21 seats from these pockets and the BJP lost 20 seats. In Chhattisgarh, it was an all-round drubbing.

Editors of network18 who have covered elections from the ground discuss the government formation in all these states.

First Published:Dec 12, 2018 11:04 PM IST