BJP has won Gujarat, Congress must move past the 100 metre dash: Dr Shastri

There are lessons to be learnt for both the Congress and the BJP post the Gujarat verdict. The BJP has won the election, but not with the numbers it would have expected.

To break down the lessons that both parties have to learn, we have with us Dr. Sandeep Shastri, a leading psephologist with us. For the BJP there are plenty of lessons to be learnt says Dr. Shastri.

The BJP was over-dependent on its central leadership and this question must be pondered over when it goes to polls in four states next year.An alarm bell must ring and there is a certain amount of course correction that needs to be done. There are questions about the over-dependence on the central leadership.

It is a fact that certain economic policies, price rise have hurt the BJP. The BJP will also need to address the issues of the rural electorate. In Gujarat, the Congress seems to have done well in the rural areas and the BJP was saved largely by the urban voters. Is this a wider trend of rural distress not being addressed by the BJP. This is an issue that they would need to look into says Dr. Shastri.

For the Congress, the lesson it must learn is whether it wants to continue with the momentum or not. Rahul Gandhi has impressed all and has managed to take the tally of the party from the 60 it won in 2012 to 80 this year. The Congress must be a long-term player and should think of winning the 5 km marathon rather than making a 100-meter dash.

When the BJP goes into 2018 and faces four more elections, it would need to introspect if its policy has been more urban-centric. The BJP would also need to raise more local issues when it faces the elections in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah has set the tone by raking up local issues and this is something that the BJP will need to look into.

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