Poll results dispel set beliefs

NEW DELHI: The assembly elections in different states sprung some surprises and dispelled set beliefs about polling behaviour.

Everybody thought Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would cut into the Congress vote bank. The BJP felt secure in this belief, watching BSP’s growth with glee. Again, there was a belief that dominant caste groups such as the Jats, Gujjars and Meenas would swing the elections one way or the other.

In Delhi, BJP’s rout has been attributed to lack of enthusiasm for its chief ministerial candidate VK Malhotra. But it’s also a fact that the BJP’s hopes of BSP denting the Congress vote bank were misplaced. While the BSP dented the BJP’s prospects in nearly 20 constituencies, it spoiled the Congress’s future in 10. The party also appears to have extended its influence beyond its traditional base. In five constituencies, the BSP emerged runner-up and eventually finished the third largest party.