Modi now has to outsmart Yogi in Hindutva game after Assembly poll results, says Pak editorial

Islamabad, Dec 13: The results of the recently held Assembly elections in the five Indian states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram marked a departure from the recent tradition of poll results in India as the ruling BJP of Prime Minister Narendra Modi could won none of them while lost three big ones in the Hindi heartland.

The media across the Wagah was also interested to know these results since Pakistan views the Modi regime as a hardliner which it finds difficult to negotiate with. One editorial in Pakistan's major daily 'Dawn' defined the results as setback for Modi and a boost for the Opposition Congress.

"Results from crucial state polls in India on Tuesday have come as a major setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of next year's general election. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been evicted from its strongholds of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh," the Dawn editorial said.

The piece said the loss of India's first cow minister Otaram Dewasi in Rajasthan was a symbolic mockery of Modi's politics of Hindutva. "Mr Modi's term in office has seen an unprecedented recourse to lynching of Muslims by self-styled cow vigilantes as an instrument of political mobilisation," it said.

The Congress though swept only Chhattisgarh of the three states where it is set to return to power, it just about crossed the halfway mark with help of other parties and Independents in Rajasthan and MP to lay claim for forming the government.

About Yogi Adityanath's role

The editorial also mentioned about the role of Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who campaigned vigorously for these elections saying there were two contrasting opinions within the BJP over the role of the Hindutva leader.

"He (Modi) has to now outsmart Mr Yogi in the Hindutva game. Analysts say a more detailed analysis of how the Modi factor worked in comparison with the Yogi factor in these core regions of Hindutva is likely to be done by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, BJP's ideological parent," it said.

"The results to the five states look good for the Congress and a huge setback to the BJP."