Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had snatched three states away from the clutches of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress was euphoric because it had kept the BJP on tenterhooks in Gujarat, and followed it with wins in the Hindi belt’s three important states. However, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh were taken back soon through turncoats, but Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh remained in Congress’s hands. Rajasthan experienced political turbulence, throwing a challenge to the century-old national party to keep its hold tight to be in power till this year’s winter elections.

The election fever will begin soon with declaration of the February schedule for north-eastern states of Tripura (BJP), Meghalaya (NDA) and Nagaland (NDA). The Karnataka (BJP) polls will be held in May, followed by Chhattisgarh (Congress), MP (BJP) and Mizoram (Mizo National) in November, and Rajasthan (Congress) and Telangana (TRS) in December.