Election result live: Cong decimation will shift focus to shielding Rahul

As early trends show that results are most likely to follow the trajectory predicted by a series of opinion polls and exit polls – a resounding defeat for the Congress party – Sunday’s counting of votes in four states would expectedly have some impact on the functioning of the Central government, and most definitely on the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Key legislation awaits discussions in both houses of Parliament – the slew of bills includes women’s reservation bill and the Lokpal bill that are listed for passage. There are indications also that the government will bring a bill for creation of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. [caption id=“attachment_127357” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A referendum on Rahul? PTI[/caption] How much could Parliament’s legislative work be affected by Sunday’s results? A report in The Indian Express says not only will the BJP’s demand for an extended session of Parliament be ignored, but a 0-4 scorecard for the Congress could also see the UPA abandon any efforts to pass contentious legislation. According to the report, “With a Congress washout seen as an indicator for 2014, the entire decision-making process may grind to a halt about five months ahead of General elections.” It’s no secret that the best result the Congress expected by Saturday evening was a 1-3 face-saver, through a close win in Chhattisgarh. The Nationalist Congress Party, a key ally of the UPA and also government partner in Maharashtra where Assembly elections will follow general elections in 2014, reportedly began to sound the first alarm bells saying it was worried about what impact the results would have on governance over the next five months and on the Parliamentary elections of 2014. “It will have an impact on general elections in terms of momentum and also on the morale of party workers,” said NCP leader Tariq Anwar. “It may give a boost to Modi too.” if the Congress falters, the results will be read as a setback for party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, said the Times of India. It is widely expected that the focus for the Congress party, which would have hoped to push through and showcase its populist schemes in the run-up to the general elections five months away, will now shift to protecting party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi – and particularly the latter – from criticism for the Assembly polls debacle. Some reports suggested that backroom managers in the Congress are chalking out a plan to ensure that party leaders appearing on television take the line that the election results are not a reflection on Rahul’s leadership qualities. So television panelists from the Congress will all likely take the line that anti-incumbency is a state-specific matter and will not colour the voting patterns in May 2014.