BJP gets a much needed jerk before 2019 general elections,however, It can still hope to recover from here provided they are willing to learn from their mistakes.
BJP has lost in hindi heartland states. However, in defeat also there is some "saving grace" for it. Although,BJP has lost comprehensively in Chattisgarh, however considering, fifteen years of anti incumbency , it can't be considered a humiliating defeat. And, in M.P. , despite 15 years of anti incumbency, if BJP is still neck and neck with Congress, it is not a mean achievement. Biggest pleasant surprise,however, for BJP has been results in Rajasthan. For last one year, BJP was being completely written off for Rajasthan. Opinion polls would suggest, sweeping victory for Congress in Rajasthan but at the end Congress has been struggling even for absolute majority in Rajasthan.
In a nutshell, despite huge anti incumbency, this kind of result for BJP in hindi heartland states is a "saving grace" for it. From here on, BJP can still hope to recover for 2019 general elections provided they learn to take care of their core voters & respect their feelings/sentiments.
Middle class remains the strongest supporters for BJP & Modi but they remain the biggest victims of the economic policies and financial measures of the Govt. It is unfortunate that while economic policies fail to create jobs for them & augment their income, they have been bearing the brunt of higher taxation & introduction of new cess and surcharges periodically, sometimes in name of swachch bharat and sometimes in name of education. While middle class voters using trains aren't getting many better facilities in trains but train fares have been going up. Same is the case with air fares. Govt should know, nowadays, majority of people travelling by air happen to be middle class and professionals, biggest supporters of BJP.
Not passing on enough benefit of falling crude prices, also hurts middle class.
Certain economic reforms and stringent economic measures may serve to the end of cleaner economy but unfortunately, these economic measures have slowed down the economy and have created acute scarcity of jobs in corporate sector and biggest sufferers of the same happen to be middle class only. Even in the Govt sector, Govt, in the name of cutting expenditure , has been averse to notifying new vacancies and filling up existing ones.
As an economist, one may appreciate this govt for sound economic/fiscal measures, cutting down on fiscal deficit but this Govt should also know that "Sound economics is often not a good politics" and why is it that only middle class(BJP's core support base) should bear the brunt of all sound economic/fiscal measures of the govt? Demonetization may have been a good measure of the govt to curb black money but at the end it has hurt the small traders most, again the traditional supporters of BJP.
Again undoing supreme court order on SC/ST act antagonizes core support base of BJP and same has taken a heavy toll on poll outcomes for BJP in three hindi heartland states. While undoing SC's order hasn't brought in additional votes for BJP but in the bargain they have lost a sizable number of their traditional votes.
Again, core voters of BJP are highly upset with the govt on Ram Mandir issue. Hindutva forces brought BJP into power and have supported it to hilt but sadly Govt, only towards end of their tenure is showing some urgency, that too half hearted one only, towards construction of Ram temple.
At the end, election results in three Hindi heartland states,may help revive dying Congress but results aren't too bad for BJP. It can still hope to win another mandate in 2019, however,for that they need to take care of their core voters and respect their feelings/sentiments.
