The on-going elections in Jharkhand will prove to be a huge test for the BJP. The five-phase Jharkhand assembly elections are taking place at an interesting juncture. Despite the BJP’s dominance in Lok Sabha elections in 2019, it appears to be losing ground in state elections.
The phenomenon can be traced back to Gujarat in 2017 where the Congress ran it close and has since then repeated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Haryana. Congress and regional parties have sensed an opening and are making Jharkhand elections a hard fought battle.
A friendless BJP finds itself ranged against a potent Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance and smaller parties like ex-ally All Jharkhand Students Union, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), CPI, Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party, the last two being BJP’s partners in Bihar.