Results of various bypoll elections held recently were declared today. While BJP won in Palghar, Maharashtra, Tharali, Uttarakhand and Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll elections, the opposition won the remaining including the high stakes Kairana (Uttar Pradesh, RLD) and Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party) and Jokihat (Bihar, RJD). Except for Rajrajeshwarinagar Assembly seat in Karnataka and Shahkot Assembly seat in Punjab, regional parties have fared better than Congress. During the high octane, Karnataka Assembly polls Congress had to form an alliance with JDS to form the government, which is already on shaky grounds. However, the ‘neutral’ journalists of India have become Opposition strategists for a day dishing out advice on what future course of action for the Opposition should be.
Today’s elections prove that the only real challenge to the BJP is when the entire opposition comes together. Kairana also proves that communal polarisation won’t always work #ResultsWithNDTV
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) May 31, 2018
Obvious lessons from by polls-opposition unity can defeat the BJP. But the unity has to be deep and strategic not just tactical
— Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) May 31, 2018
Can the Nehru fan-girl be far behind on nudging Congress in the ‘right’ direction?
Dear @INCIndia before trolling me, kindly inform on why you are losing so much ground among ST voters, Palghar being a ST reserved seat https://t.co/dV6j1TWfi4
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 31, 2018
And then she cheered for fodder scam convict Lalu Yadav’s son, Tejashwi Yadav.
Yes, @yadavtejashwi is holding @RJDforIndia together in @laluprasadrjd ‘s absence https://t.co/0teFfM303G
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 31, 2018
#Bypolls result day gyan:
* Regional alliances with Cong in the support is success formula against BJP: UP & Jharkhand results show it
* Nitish Kumar position in Bihar is shaky
* AAP story is over in Punjab— Aman Sharma (@AmanKayamHai_ET) May 31, 2018
Phulpur and Gorakhpur showed opposition unity could decimate the BJP in east UP.
Noorpur and Kairana in west UP echo that sentiment.
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) May 31, 2018
#BypollsVerdict appears to be a bad day in the office for the BJP; only good news is coming from Palghar in Maharashtra at the moment.. rest of India regional IOU (index of oppn unity) is working.. @IndiaToday tv
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) May 31, 2018
AAP cheerleader and a ‘journalist’ with a fading career desperately clutching to straws, too chimed in to appear relevant.
It’s an I told you So moment. Nitish Kumar who betrayed a mandate is na ghar ka na ghaat ka….
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) May 31, 2018
RLD has struck a blow for social unity by fielding a Muslim woman in an area divided by muzaffarnagar riots…#Kairana .
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) May 31, 2018
Perhaps Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s political end is near.
Finally make no mistake @yadavtejashwi has arrived as generation next leader…
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) May 31, 2018
Election season is upon us and the machinery is getting itself oiled. With the same people in charge of writing articles, opinions and editorials in the months during the run-up to the 2019 elections, it is time we start taking what they say with a pinch of propaganda.