The Bharatiya Janata Party registered a landslide victory in three Hindi heartland states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led the party poll campaign in these states, said the hattrick of the victory has guaranteed “a hattrick in 2024”. He was referring to his third straight victory in general elections due next year.

In these elections, the BJP was said to be on the backfoot with most pre poll surveys giving the Congress party an edge. However, a few months before the elections, the BJP tweaked it’s strategy and decided to fight the polls under PM Modi’s collective leadership. The party also fielded a total 18 MPs in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

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Three of seven MPs fielded in Rajasthan lost

The Bharatiya Janata Party fielded seven MPs from Rajasthan but only four of them could register victory. Three of them lost the election and one of them, Devji Patel, even lost his deposit and finished third in Sanchor.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Jhotwara, Diya Kumari in Vidhyadhar Nagar, Dr Kirodi Lal Meena in Sawai Madhopur, and Baba Balaknath in Tijara won their respective seats.

Narendra Kumar and Bhagirath Choudhary lost in Mandawa and Kishangarh, respectively. Besides, Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and his deputy Satish Punia also lost in Taranagar and Amber, respectively.

In Madhya Pradesh, five of seven MPs won; Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste lost 

BJP registered a landslide victory in Madhya Pradesh, winning 163 seats and reducing the Congress to just 66. Five of the seven MPs the saffron party fielded in Madhya Pradesh won the elections but two of them, including Kulaste, lost. Despite BJP securing a landslide victory, 12 of its ministers, including home minister Narottam Mishra, lost in their respective constituencies.

In Chhattisgarh, MP Vijay Baghel lost against uncle Bhupesh Baghel, three others won

Four MPs, including Union Minister of State’s for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh, were fielded by the BJP in Chhattisgarh. The BJP defied early predictions and wrested power in Chhattisgarh from Congress party, which was hoping a cake walk in the tribal state.

Renuka Singh won Bharatpur-Sonahat, while Arun Saav and Gomati Saay also defeated their Congress rivals in Lormi and Pathalgaon, respectively. Vijay Baghel, after giving a tough fight to his Chief Minister uncle, lost in Paatan.

Overall, the BJP won 54 seats in Chhattisgarh, and the Congress emerged victorious in just 35 constituencies. One seat went to Mayawati’s BSP.