Assembly elections of Maharashtra and Haryana didn’t triggered much hype and the national media too was not that much bothered to pay attention until its results were declared on Thursday. It was almost taken to be sure that it’s going to be a cakewalk for the ruling dispensation in these two states given their roaring success in Lok Sabha election that’s only a few months old. But who knew that the electorate had other thoughts and a beleaguered and disunited opposition with the grand old party, the Indian National Congress at forefront will put up such an encouraging show. Even if it is widely perceived in the context of Indian electoral politics that assembly elections generally revolve around politics and issues concerning that state(s) only, in this case it has not been the same story. This is since, during election campaigns, national issues have largely overlapped the local ones and there had also been noticeable and conscious effort on part of BJP and its allies to amplify the rhetoric of nationalism and their recent ‘successes’ such as abrogation of Article 370 in J&K and others. With this argument, it will then not be incorrect to say that these results carry meaning not confined two these states alone, but has a national significance that will presumably have bearings on the larger political theatre in coming days.

It is often reminded that a democracy can move ahead if there remains a healthy opposition, not necessarily in size but in spirit. But the ‘great defeat’ in LS polls seemingly has made the opposition pale sucking all energy to stage a fightback. Leadership crisis of the Congress and diametrically opposite view points among its top brass over various national issues had made things easy for the current power holders prompting them to coin slogans such as “Ab ki baar 75 paar” in Haryana along with floating of a 220+ seats dream in Maharashtra. Both these targets remain unaccomplished and the reasons are too visible to be concealed. Repeated and overt mentioning of various by and large contentious issues like Kashmir revamp, NRC etc and refusal to address issues that touch all people irrespective of caste, creed and religion such as the unceasing economic slowdown and rising unemployment are the unmistakable causes, whether one admits or argues.

These two states have once again and emphatically reminded the whole country that in Indian politics, electorate must not be taken for granted and no political force is invincible. It must also be the time for opposition to gauge the changing mood of the people and 'reinvent' themselves so as to sync appropriately in the political picture that will unfold in near future. Nevertheless, it has been proved again that the Indian electorate is mature enough to take sagacious decisions.