NEW DELHI: A grim electoral battle appears to be on cards for former Prime Minister Gandhi’s Congress I party in the attempt to retain power in the eight states and Pondicherry going to polls on February 27, reports PTI.
The party besides facing a largely united opposition determined to repeat the performance of the November Lok Sahba elections is plagued by the threat of large number of party rebels in the fray, besides dissensions in its ranks.
The differences among its rivals seem to be of little help to the Congress (I) as at best they appear to be leading for hung assemblies.
Poll projections showed that at least two states are likely to be wrested from the Congress (1) by the Bharatiya Janata Patty. The Himachal Pradesh appeared to be in for a BJP wave. Himachal is the only state where the Janata Dal and the BJP have entered into a complete agreement.
Even Madhya Pradesh where the two parties besides not being able to agree on many seats. And have been even violated their agreement by contesting the constituencies that do not form their part of the share under the accord, seems to be going the opposition way.
Projections on Madhya Pradesh showed that the state may slip out of the Congress I grasp and go to BJP if the latter did as well as its performance in the November Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress (I) is at a disadvantage where there are straight contests like in Orissa. But Arunachal were also there is a straight contest between the Congress I and Janata Dal, the independents appear to hold the key and no party may get a clear majority.
But the situation is quite unpredictable in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Bihar thanks to the division of non-congress I votes in these states. In Rajasthan cross fights between the BJP and the Janata Dal may lead to a hung assembly, while power may slip out of the Congress (I) grasp neither of its rivals may get a clear majority.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 2, 1990
