Chhattisgarh Election Results: How Congress Got the Better of BJP

In Chhattisgarh, Congress is all set to win with a full majority in the Assembly Elections 2018.

The Quint decodes Chhattisgarh election results

(Photo: The Quint)

In Chhattisgarh, as the 2018 Assembly Election results start pouring in, it looks like the Congress is all set to come back with a full majority.

In this Assembly Election, the grand old party is set to gain at least 25 votes, while the saffron party is set to lose 25 votes.

This is a huge swing for the Congress, especially when compared to its performance in 2013.

In 2013, The Congress secured 39 seats, while the BJP came back to power with 49. However, in that election, the vote share between the two parties was a mere 0.75 percent.

In fact, such a narrow margin has been the mainstay in Chhatisgarh for a while now. Which is why during the run up to this election there was a widespread belief that a kingmaker – in the form of Ajit Jogi or Mayawati – could become a possibility.

But what then explains the massive victory of the Congress in the Chhattisgarh elections?

A few of the primary reasons that led to BJP’s rout include agrarian distress, tribal displacement, and more than anything else, a 15-year old anti-incumbency.