KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR…
CONGRESS
■ The Congress has realised the BJP can be defeated if the opposition parties join hands
■ The party is willing to play second or third fiddle in UP to ensure the BJP does not repeat its 2014 or 2017 performance in the state
■ The victory of the Kairana candidate has weakened the party’s bargaining power in terms of seat-sharing in UP
■ Coming soon after forming a coalition government with the JD(S) in Karnataka, the bypoll results are a boost for the party ahead of assembly elections in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh
■ The results also give a fresh handle to the party to step up its attacks against the BJP in and outside Parliament
BJP
■ The BJP is relieved at retaining a large chunk of its support base, but worried over the success of Opposition unity
■ The ability of the Jat and Muslim communities, who were at loggerheads till recently, to vote for a common candidate has it alarmed
■ The party’s defeats in Western UP (Kairana), Eastern UP (Gorakhpur) and Kanpur region (Phulpur) expose its vulnerability
■ In Maharashtra, it benefited from division of votes in Palghar, but lost in BhandraGondiya in a direct contest
■ Insiders stress on the need for an outreach to backward communities and the SCs, besides addressing critical issues such as jobs