Another regional party counters Modi-Shah juggernaut: how BJP gamble against NPP in Meghalaya failed

Roadshows, rallies, big project announcements and inaugurations, and BJP's two biggest faces leading the charge - in a big gamble for the 2023 Meghalaya elections, BJP decided to break its ruling alliance with Conrad Sangma's National People's Party, calling it the "most corrupt", and decided to go it alone with a high-decibel campaign

The saffron party fielded candidates in all 60 seats, up from 47 in the last polls. But the gamble did not pay off.

BJP won just 2 out of 59 seats, as voting in one constituency was postponed. The party did not see any improvement in its seat share compared to 5 years ago. Meanwhile, BJP's erstwhile partner had a more impressive performance, even though the NPP fell short of achieving majority on its own.

This once again demonstrates that even as the Congress folds in most states, regional parties can counter the BJP juggernaut driven by Modi and Shah. Even if this Assembly poll trend holds in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party may demonstrate its agility to forge official alliances and unofficial understandings.