The defeat of the BJP in the recent by-elections to 4 Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats across the country and the danger of party losing its power in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan late this year, is forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to think of advancing the general elections to December. The party had fared badly in every successive by-election after its tremendous victory in the 2014 elections. While there was no threat felt to the BJP and Narendra Modi leadership for another term, the repeated defeats and the increasing unity in the Opposition is making the prime minister to have second thoughts on waiting for May 2019 for the next round of elections.

The Opposition parties have put up a united fight against the BJP in the two Lok Sabha by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and have defeated the party. The BJP lost these two seats though it is in power at the Centre and in the State. That was the amazing unity that the Opposition parties have shown in the recent by-elections.

Sources in the BJP say that the defeat of the party and the unity that the Opposition parties have put up had made Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to sit down and rework their strategy. The leaders wanted to capture Karnataka State in the south. Having captured the north and the north east, the BJP leaders went all out to win the Karnataka, which they called the gate of south. But, here too, the party had to taste humiliating defeat.

Given the strategies that both Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have been implementing since their victory in 2014, Karnataka would have been in their bag as they were short of just 8 seats to the simple majority. But, the Congress had played a quick game and the entire Opposition had put up a brave fight to prevent BJP from capturing power. Though the BJP staked claim using the Governor’s office, its Chief Minister Yedyurappa had to step down bowing to the Opposition unity.

This Opposition unity had become a major threat to the BJP now, which had prompted Modi-Shah to think of advancing the general elections to December, along with the State elections to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assemblies. Modi is not ready to give more time for the Opposition parties to strengthen their unity and he is not prepared to give them time to campaign against him too.

Considering these two aspects, it is said that Modi-Shah are planning to advance the general elections to December this year.