New Delhi, Dec. 6: The outcome of the just-ended Assembly elections in five states — a mammoth popularity test involving nearly 100 million voters — will be known on Monday, with analysts saying it is sure to impact on parliamentary polls next year.
Votes cast by an estimated 66 per cent of the 98 million voters in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh will be counted from 8 am Monday. Most results are expected by that afternoon.
The elections in all states barring Mizoram involved straight contests, mainly between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the two major national parties that will vie to take power after the next general election.
While the Congress has ruled Delhi since 1998 and hopes to win a third five-year term, the Bharatiya Janata Party seems confident of retaining power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh besides capturing the national capital.
The Mizoram fight was between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), formerly an insurgent group, and the Congress.
"These election results are quite important in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections as these states have a sizeable chunk of Parliament seats," political analyst G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said.
"Whichever party (BJP or Congress) wins most or a majority of these Assemblies will get a momentum for the Lok Sabha elections," he added. Staggered elections in the five states began on November 14 in Chhattisgarh and concluded on December 4 in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. Some people have called it a "semi-final" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Balloting to pick a new legislature in troubled Jammu and Kashmir began on November 17 and is still on. It will end on December 24 and the vote count will take place four days later.
Barring Chhattisgarh, elections in the other four states took place under the shadow of the terror attack in Mumbai, dealing a severe blow to the nation’s psyche.
Political parties reported a sudden surge in voting percentage in urban areas in the wake of the Mumbai massacre.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders say they are confident of retaining Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but are feeling a bit shaky in Rajasthan. The Bharatiya Janata Party is also confident of unseating the Congress in Delhi.
Congress sources say their initial enthusiasm about retaining Delhi and pushing out the Bharatiya Janata Party from power in two of three other states appear to have been derailed by the Mumbai happenings.
Mr Rao added that since most of the state elections were held in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror, "the results will decide if terrorism will be a major issue in the Lok Sabha elections along with issues such as inflation". —IANS
BJP and Congress leaders say that any party coming on top in these polls will enter 2009, when the general election is due, with a psychological advantage. —IANS
Votes cast by an estimated 66 per cent of the 98 million voters in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh will be counted from 8 am Monday. Most results are expected by that afternoon.
The elections in all states barring Mizoram involved straight contests, mainly between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the two major national parties that will vie to take power after the next general election.
While the Congress has ruled Delhi since 1998 and hopes to win a third five-year term, the Bharatiya Janata Party seems confident of retaining power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh besides capturing the national capital.
The Mizoram fight was between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), formerly an insurgent group, and the Congress.
"These election results are quite important in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections as these states have a sizeable chunk of Parliament seats," political analyst G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said.
"Whichever party (BJP or Congress) wins most or a majority of these Assemblies will get a momentum for the Lok Sabha elections," he added. Staggered elections in the five states began on November 14 in Chhattisgarh and concluded on December 4 in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. Some people have called it a "semi-final" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Balloting to pick a new legislature in troubled Jammu and Kashmir began on November 17 and is still on. It will end on December 24 and the vote count will take place four days later.
Barring Chhattisgarh, elections in the other four states took place under the shadow of the terror attack in Mumbai, dealing a severe blow to the nation’s psyche.
Political parties reported a sudden surge in voting percentage in urban areas in the wake of the Mumbai massacre.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders say they are confident of retaining Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but are feeling a bit shaky in Rajasthan. The Bharatiya Janata Party is also confident of unseating the Congress in Delhi.
Congress sources say their initial enthusiasm about retaining Delhi and pushing out the Bharatiya Janata Party from power in two of three other states appear to have been derailed by the Mumbai happenings.
Mr Rao added that since most of the state elections were held in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror, "the results will decide if terrorism will be a major issue in the Lok Sabha elections along with issues such as inflation". —IANS
BJP and Congress leaders say that any party coming on top in these polls will enter 2009, when the general election is due, with a psychological advantage. —IANS
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