It’s historic clean sweep for BJP-Sena in Vidarbha

16-05-14

For the first time, BJP-Sena combine bags all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha region, which was considered a Congress bastion so far as the party had won all seats in five elections held previously

By Kartik Lokhande 

Well in tune with the national mood, Vidarbha also gave a clear mandate to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena alliance. It’s historic clean sweep for BJP-Sena in Vidarbha, which was assumed to be a Congress bastion. The alliance has won all 10 seats in the region.
If one takes a look at Lok Sabha election history of Vidarbha, Congress had swept all the seats in 1951, 1957, 1980, 1984, and 1998. Congress and its allies including various groups of Republican Party of India dominated the results tally till 1998, barring 1996, elections of Lok Sabha. In 1996, for the first time, BJP-Sena alliance bagged nine out of total 11 seats in the region while Congress could secure only two. However, BJP-Sena could not keep up the stellar performance in the very next election held in 1998, when Congress swept all 11 seats in the region.

Photo courtesy: Satish Raut

Against the backdrop of this history, Vidarbha region was considered a bastion of Congress and allies. Congress leaders had been banking on the votes of Dalits, tribals, Muslims, and Other Backward Classes in the region. However, over the years, BJP not only created but also strengthened its network in the region systematically. It successfully converted voters to its side in Akola constituency in Western Vidarbha, and all six districts Eastern Vidarbha. Besides, its long-time ally, Shiv Sena made deep inroads into the constituencies of Western Vidarbha and kept fielding candidates from Backward Classes to counter Congress’ influence. In the constituencies like Ramtek, BJP and Shiv Sena worked in tandem with each other.
All these yielded positive results for BJP-Sena alliance and its vote share kept on increasing steadily election-after-election. Of course, it took time for BJP-Sena to convert this increased vote share into number of seats won. This time, BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi campaigned in various constituencies of Vidarbha for BJP and Sena candidates. Former National President of BJP Nitin Gadkari campaigned for himself as well as other candidates of the alliance in the region. Gadkari focussed on reaching out to people through various small and big social, educational, voluntary organisations. He also built bridges with leaders of other parties having influence over at least a chunk of electorate in respective constituencies. As a result, despite the fear of anti-incumbency factor going against them, some of the sitting Members of Parliament got elected for another term.
Now that Vidarbha has given a clean sweep victory to BJP-Sena, it is expected that the alliance capitalises on that to put the region on fast-track of development. Also, it remains to be seen if the region continues to patronise BJP-Sena alliance in the Legislative Assembly elections scheduled in September. It will be interesting to watch the reaction and response of Congress and NCP, to this biggest shocker of never-before defeat.

LS poll-wise results in Vidarbha

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Year     Total Seats               Party-wise number of seats won

                                     Cong+     BJP    Shiv Sena     Others

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1951             10                 10         --           --                  --

1957             11                 11         --            --                  --

1962             11                 09         --            --                 02

1967             11                 10         --            --                 01

1971             11                 10         --            --                 01

1977             11                 09         --            --                 02

1980             11                 11         --            --                  --

1984             11                 11         --            --                  --

1989             11                 06         04           --                 01

1991             11                09          01           --                 01

1996             11                02         06           03                 --

1998             11                11          --             --                  --

1999             11                05         02           04                  --

2004             11                01         06           04                  --

2009             10               05          02            03                  --

2014             10               --           06            04                  --

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