The results of the two State Assembly elections, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim announced on Sunday. This state election result rejects the anti-incumbency sentiments and shows support for the current government. If the first state demonstrates the BJP’s organizational prowess and ability to forge a stronger bond with the population through the Prime Minister’s persona and the policies of his government.  The second depicts a young state trying to find its direction.

These outcomes also raise a question about the opposition’s inertia in both states. Particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, where its lack of focus was evident in its failure to identify issues that the electorate could relate to. It also shows how the Congress party is losing ground in an area where it used to be a powerful force. It took one seat out of sixty in Arunachal Pradesh and none of the thirty-two seats in Sikkim.

BJP in Arunachal Pradesh 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Arunachal Pradesh has an advantage because it won ten of the state’s sixty seats without opposition. Both Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Chief Minister Pema Khandu have already secured their seats.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP secured 41 seats in the 2019 Assembly elections. The People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) scored one, the Congress party scored four, the National People’s Party (NPP) five, and the Janata Dal (United) seven. In the Assembly polls, two independents also prevailed. Every Congress MLA, except former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, joined the BJP.

Sikkim

The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) and the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) are engaged in a fierce rivalry in Sikkim. The SDF and football player Bhaichung Bhutia’s Hamro Sikkim Party amalgamated in November 2023. The SKM won 17 seats and the SDF won 15 seats in the 2019 Assembly elections. According to the exit polls, the SKM is expected to regain power in the state. 79.88 percent of Sikkim voters cast ballots in the 2024 Assembly Election. In the 2019 Assembly Election, it was 81.43%.

Exit Poll 2024

The victory of Arunachal Pradesh gives a big boost to the BJP ahead of the general elections counting. Most of the exit polls predicted that the NDA, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would win more than 350 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. According to three exit polls, the NDA might make history by becoming the first party to win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha. In Congress-ruled Karnataka, numerous exit polls predicted a resounding victory for the BJP, while an India TV-CNX survey predicted the TDP, led by Chandrababu Naidu, and the NDA to win handily in the state of Andhra Pradesh.