By the end of today, five Indian states will have new assemblies. One of them, Rajasthan, is the largest state on the map of India. Another, Madhya Pradesh, is a long-standing saffron bastion, with a sitting chief minister who will become one of the longest-tenured chief ministers in Indian history if he wins again.
Yet this may be the beginning of a counter-wave to the ‘Modi wave’ of 2014. These polls reflect popular reactions to the state of agriculture and employment, on communal division, and on Modi’s government in New Delhi. They are also a referendum on the prime minister’s mid-term shock policy, demonetisation.
The results may leave a streak of blue across the Hindi heartland. Either way, they will put in motion major power-shifts within the parties, and determine the fate of half-built national coalitions, as India plunges toward the 2019 general elections.
Welcome to The Wire‘s live video on the assembly elections results in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Telangana. Through the day, we will be bringing you the news, analyses and more.