Elections to a total of 690 Assembly constituencies in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur are believed to be a preview election that could help predict the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
Observers say the ruling BJP does not have as much support in Uttar Pradesh as it did in the previous election results in those states, but the party has achieved what it says is an elephant in the room.
The BJP, which won 311 seats in the last assembly elections, is in power for the second time in a row, though not to that extent.
In addition, the results show that the party has been significant enough to form a government in states other than Punjab.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was in a position to capture 271 out of a total of 403 seats as of yesterday evening.
The BJP was in a position to capture 20 seats in Goa with 40 seats, 48 seats in Uttarakhand with 70 seats and 30 seats in Manipur with 60 seats.
At the same time, the Aam Aadmi Party won 91 of the 117 seats in Punjab and advanced to form the government.
Observers say the results of this assembly election reveal a number of other factors in politics at the national level.
People are increasingly marginalizing the Congress party, which has been the most important national party. Mayawati, who has ruled Uttar Pradesh four times as chief minister, has faded into politics in several states.
In all states except Punjab, the Congress party has not been significant.
Although Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said he was not afraid of the election results, observers say the results have left many, including party leaders and volunteers, in a state of shock.
The Aam Aadmi Party has for the first time outside Delhi captured Punjab with completely separate influence.
Celebrating the victory, party figures chanted yesterday that the Aam Aadmi Party now has the potential to emerge as the BJP’s main opposition party in India and that Kejriwal will be the next prime minister.