The five Assembly election results would give a fair idea about the political mood of the nation

Elections to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram have been scheduled for November. These elections are not just regional contests but will have far-reaching implications for the General Elections of 2024. Madhya Pradesh has traditionally been a bellwether State with its outcome often indicative of the national trend. With the BJP keeping its cards hidden on the issue of the next CM, speculation is rife that it is the end of the road for incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The BJP is eager to regain power, while the Congress, led by Kamal Nath, is harping upon the anti-incumbency of 20 years of the BJP rule. In the state of Rajasthan it is Congress stalwart Ashok Gehlot who would be defending his turf and fighting anti-incumbency. In Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) will seek re-election. The BRS swept the 2018 Assembly polls, and KCR has since been a prominent player in national politics, advocating for a federal front. The Opposition, including the Congress and the BJP, is determined to challenge KCR's dominance in the State. These elections could determine whether KCR remains a formidable regional force and whether his federal front gains traction on the national stage. Chhattisgarh, a State with a history of left-wing extremism, will also go to the polls. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has been leading the Congress Government, and the elections will test the party's popularity. In the border State of Rajasthan, it could be a direct contest between Congress and the BJP. Mizoram gears up for the impending Assembly elections on November 7.  The State will see its 40 Assembly seats go to polls in a single-phase election. The electoral battleground in Mizoram appears to be poised for a close contest, with opinion polls predicting a hung Assembly.

The interest in these elections is mainly for two reasons. First, they are the first major round of elections after the formation of the INDIA bloc and its first test at the hustings and, second, they are being held just months before the General Elections. Psephologists maintain that most people tend to vote for the same party when State and general elections are narrowly spaced. This would indeed indicate the mood of the people in these five important States, of which four are in the Hindi heartland. These elections are not merely regional contests but pivotal events that will shape the political trajectory of India as a whole. They will be closely scrutinised for clues about the national political climate, alliance dynamics and voter sentiments, all of which will impact the outcome of the General Elections in 2024. Though the state elections are different from the Lok Sabha election, the political parties would still be going all out to win these elections as they would not like to lose any ground just before the General Elections.