Year in Review | How India’s political landscape transformed in 2023

Yearender 2023: The year 2023 marks a significant chapter for India's political parties, with the five state polls and general elections just months away. Here’a a look at how India’s political landscape changed over several elections and the shift in power.

As the curtain falls on 2023, it stands out as a significant chapter for political parties in India. It has been a rollercoaster ride over several State elections, and the recently-concluded five-State polls have thrust India into full-fledged election mode ahead of the general elections, just a few months away.

Here is how elections and by-polls panned out for various political parties in India in 2023:

At the beginning of 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held sway over 16 State governments, while the Congress was in power in five States, including via coalition governments in Jharkhand and Bihar. Presently, the BJP rule extends to 17 States. However, the party experienced a setback earlier this year as it lost its sole government in the south, Karnataka. The BJP secured victories in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh during the recently concluded State elections, wresting them from the Congress.

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The Congress had a triumphant return to power in Karnataka and achieved a historic win in Telangana.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governs in Punjab, and Trinamool Congress rules West Bengal, while other regional parties maintain control over Mizoram, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Kerala is the only State ruled by the Left parties. Out of the nine elections held this year, BJP won five, Congress two.

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