According to Swaminathan Aiyar, Consulting Editor at ET Now, the Delhi elections would be viewed as a national success as long as the BJP runs a robust campaign. Even better would be a resounding victory for the BJP. Even so, it will be considered a huge improvement over the previous two elections if they even approach the AAP. Even if they might not win this time, they will be hopeful since it will set a good precedent for elections in the future.
According to exit polls, the Delhi elections will be a shock, giving the BJP yet another significant win in state elections. How will this support the BJP’s political and economic agenda, in your opinion?
Aiyar Swaminathan: First of all, as I have stated often, exit polls are a farce. They serve as a venue for amusement. Everyone is curious about your thoughts. Therefore, one must respond. In terms of analysis, however, you can get a sense of the dispersion just by looking at how different the exit polls and opinion polls are from one another.
I would begin by stating that this is not a serious critique, but rather amusement. What effect will it have on other elections, you asked? To put it simply, a new pattern is starting to emerge. The BJP appears to be recovering from its defeat in the national election.
Compared to the general election, it performed far better in Haryana. In Maharashtra, it fared much better. And this has been another strong performance in Delhi. Therefore, if it does indeed return, the BJP will have a significant advantage. Perhaps the organization is stronger now. The RSS may be more active. Even the BJP has been caught off guard by these changes. However, if it is accurate, the BJP will have a significant advantage in the October election in Bihar. That’s the..
The elections in Bihar are later this year. Will that influence the course of events? The exit polls might also be a hoax, as you said. What would happen if this were to be reversed and the AAP won? In that case, what would be the BJP’s national political repercussions?
Swaminathan Aiyar: It will be regarded as a national win as long as the BJP has fought hard. It would be ideal if the BJP could win by a landslide. They will clap their hands together and say, “Well, too bad this time, but this looks good for the future elections,” even if it comes near to defeating the AAP. That will be seen as a very good effort and a significant comeback in comparison to the previous two elections.
The fact that Congress is nowhere to be found in the exit polls is another noteworthy observation. How will the I.N.D.I. be affected by this?a partnership, and do you think this kind of partnership will last?
Swaminathan Aiyar: The manner the Congress proceeded with the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu was based on an antiquated idea. It was a very successful strategy to say, “We will give you the seats and accommodate you in the state election in exchange for you accommodating us with the seats in the general election.” Thus, an attempt to accomplish this was also made in Delhi, but it was unsuccessful.
I’m afraid it’s difficult to achieve that because of the egos of those involved. Delhi still has goals, and there aren’t any people who say that we should quit up and just run for the Lok Sabha instead of the Delhi elections. That is not what the local Congress party is willing to do. As a result, the BJP won the national election, and I have no doubt that it would have aided in this one as well. This would have been beneficial regardless of the outcome.
I can only conclude that the situation has not progressed to the point where the Congress is prepared to follow its example in Tamil Nadu, which was to essentially abandon the local issue and concentrate on forging a coalition that would enable us to win the national election. The BJP is going to be happy as long as that doesn’t change.
