India five-state elections: After Hindi heartland, BJP banks on PM Modi's popularity in Telangana

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity during ongoing elections in four state elections ahead of National Elections in 2024 in which the ruling party is set to seek a third consecutive term.

After conclusion of voting in the western state of Rajasthan, central states Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the northeastern Mizoram state, and the southern state of Telangana will vote on November 30.

The election campaign is heating up between Telangana Chief Minister KChandrashekar Rao (or KCR)-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Indian National Congress and BJP.

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In the 2018 assembly election, the BRS (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won by a landslide, grabbing 88 out of 119 seats. The Congress, which won just 19 seats, is hoping to stage a comeback and stop KCR from a third term in office.

The state of Telangana was carved out of previously united Andhra Pradesh state in 2013 at the 66th year of India's independence.

The BJP has never been in power in the state of Telangana.

But recently, in the municipality elections in Telangana capital Hyderabad, the BJP won 48 seats. With Modi's popularity its default mode of electoral campaign, the BJP is hoping to translate it into into a bigger success.

While addressing a rally at Toopran area of Telangana, Modi said the INDIA alliance, an acronym for the Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, will be wiped out of the polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

"I have seen in the three states that "Indi alliance" (INDIA alliance) will be wiped out. The women, farmers there are going to uproot the Congress party," he said.

Meanwhile, addressing the issue of examination papers being leaked out before schedule, fifth-generation Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Telangana government is not listening to the youth on paper leak issue.

"I met the unemployed youth last evening. They told me that after putting all their efforts and money into competitive exams, they didn't get jobs due to paper leaks," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting in Telangana's Sangareddy, about 64 km northwest of Hyderabad and over 1,500 km south of Indian capital New Delhi.

"The government here doesn't have time to listen to their problems. They are the future of Telangana and have been neglected by this government," he added.

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In Rajasthan, the principal opposition party Indian National Congress (INC) is in power under its Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Infighting in Congress between Gehlot, and young leader Sachin Pilot has dominated the headlines; and the BJP is expecting that it has managed to reap the benefits of this infighting with the fate of 200 assembly seats now sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is in power under its Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. But here, reports of power tussle among the BJP leaders has pushed the BJP against the wall. But a divided Congress party has made the contest rather edgy.

In Chhattisgarh, Congress party's Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel continues to be popular but the BJP is hoping to reap the benefits of Modi's outreach to the tribal community in the resource-rich central Indian state.

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In the northeastern state of Mizoram, Chief Minister Zoramthanga of Mizo National Front (MNF), an ally in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, is confident his party will return to power and bag 25-35 seats in the upcoming polls for the 40-member Assembly. But Congress party has expressed optimism of replacing the MNF in the state.

(With inputs from agencies)