NEW DELHI, 17 October 2004 — The Congress party and its allies won power in Maharashtra over rival Hindu fundamentalists yesterday in a key state election that was seen as a test of the popularity of Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born leader of India’s governing coalition.
The Congress-led alliance won 139 seats in the Maharashtra legislature, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena coalition, which won 120 seats.
Small parties and independents received 29 seats, with several expected to help Congress reach the majority mark of 145 in the 288-seat legislature.
Describing the election result as a “crushing defeat” of communal forces, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: “The people of Maharashtra have given a crushing defeat to communal forces which wanted to divide our country on the basis of religion and caste.”
Attributing the Congress success to extensive campaign undertaken by Sonia and the support given by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, he said: “It is a very happy day for Congress and its allies.”
As soon as the electoral trend became known, Sonia was showered with credit from all quarters, including the BJP. BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj told reporters: “The mandate is not in our favor.” Conceding defeat, she said that the Congress-NCP alliance would be forming the state government. “The game is over for us,” she said.
Swaraj, who had earlier vowed to shave her head if Sonia were to become the prime minister, said that credit for Congress victory should also go to the party leader (Sonia).
At the Congress headquarters in Delhi, it was party-time right from morning as results of a favorable trend started pouring in. Chanting “Sonia Gandhi zindabad,” enthusiastic party workers burst fire crackers and danced to the beating of drums.
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil also attributed the Maharashtra results to Sonia’s leadership. Besides, “the results have made it clear that the people want secularism and are happy with our pro-poor policies.”
NCP leader and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said his party would support whoever is selected as chief minister of Maharashtra. The Congress high command declined to comment on who would be the next chief minister. This decision would be taken at a meeting with party leaders and Pawar, Sonia told reporters.
Attributing the victory to the hard work put in by party workers, Sonia said: “We won because the Maharashtra government did a very good job and the people there were happy with its performance.”
Maharashtra, India’s second most industrialized state and home to Bombay, the country’s financial and film capital, is a prized province to rule. The state of 100 million people — the size of Germany and the Netherlands put together — accounts for 12 percent of national GDP, pays two thirds of India’s corporate taxes and 37 percent of personal income taxes.
Prominent winners include Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Congress), his deputy Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil (NCP), Patangrao Kadam (Congress), Jayant Patil and Chaggan Bhujbal (both NCP).
