NEW DELHI: India’s ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday appeared set to win three of four states in key regional polls, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of general elections in six months. 

The heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the southern state of Telangana, voted last month in the last set of provincial elections before the national vote due by May, when Modi seeks a third term. 

BJP had established clear leads in all three heartland states and appeared set to win them, vote-counting data from the independent election panel and five news TV channels showed. 

BJP’s performance was better than widely expected as opinion and exit polls had suggested a close contest between Modi’s party and the main opposition Congress, indicating BJP and Modi’s growing popularity despite a decade in power nationally. 

Although Congress won Telangana, its second victory in the south this year, Sunday’s outcome is seen as a setback to the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi as it was wiped out of the politically critical heartland. 

“We always said we will win the heartland states,” BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda told Reuters. “The results are the outcome of our finest political strategy and work on the ground.” 

BJP members and supporters burst firecrackers, distributed sweets and danced in the streets to the beat of drums in the three states. 

“It’s a clean sweep by the BJP in three states, the mandate proves voters trust Modi,” said federal aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who belongs to Madhya Pradesh. 

Modi remains widely popular after a decade in power and surveys suggest he will win again next year. However, a 28-party opposition alliance led by the Congress party has come together to jointly fight BJP, posing a new challenge. 

Congress disappointed 

BJP also suffered a setback when it lost the big southern state of Karnataka to Congress earlier this year as Gandhi worked hard to revive the party since its drubbing in the 2019 general elections and went on a 135-day march across the country covering more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles). 

He also helped build the opposition alliance, called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA, after the Karnataka victory and his temporary disqualification from parliament after being convicted in a defamation case. 

But the alliance did not feature in the state polls due to internal rivalries and it was a direct contest between BJP and Congress. 

“The Congress has done extremely well in Telangana... Yes, it is disappointing to see losses in three states, but we are still the opposition with a strong presence,” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told Reuters. 

The four states are home to more than 160 million voters and account for 82 seats in the 543-member parliament. 

Modi and leaders of Congress, led by Gandhi, criss-crossed the states, addressing campaign rallies and promising cash payouts, farm loan waivers, subsidies and insurance cover, among other incentives, to woo voters. 

Politicians and analysts say state elections do not always influence the outcome of the general elections or accurately indicate national voter mood. 

Results of the last round of state elections before national elections have been misleading in the past. 

Sunday’s outcome is, however, expected to boost market sentiment. 

“Markets may have had a whiff of the likely results given the gains last week but the margin of victory will be a surprise,” said Gurmeet Chadha, managing partner at asset management firm Complete Circle. 

Markets should gain on Monday on the results, he said, adding it could be a “big move.” 

The small northeastern state of Mizoram also voted last month and votes there are due to be counted on Monday. 

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar told a gathering on the margins of the United Nations climate conference in Dubai on Sunday Pakistan needed up to $17 billion for the next 15 years to work on the ecological restoration of the Indus River.
The giant waterway, nurturing the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s earliest urban cultures, has been a lifeline for the region for millennia, fostering agricultural prosperity and cultural development.
It continues to remains crucial to Pakistan’s sustenance, ensuring its food security, providing vital water resources and driving economic growth through hydroelectric power and other industries.
The prime minister, who is currently on a week-long visit to the Middle East and leading his country’s delegation at the 28th UN Conference of Parties (COP28) that began on Nov. 30, raised the issue at a ceremony organized by Living Indus, the largest climate initiative in Pakistan.
“Pakistani government is clear on its priorities with Living Indus, and we will work together to tackle the challenges, especially now that climate changes are aggravating,” he said.
“This initiative suggests that we need a minimum indicative investment of $11-17 billion over the next 15 years to mobilize from the public and private sector, citizens and communities,” he added.
Launched last September with UN support, the Living Indus initiative aims to protect and restore the vital river. The project aims to address challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, and habitat degradation through conservation and sustainable management.
The Indus Basin is home to 90 percent of Pakistan’s population and contributes to over three-quarters of its economy.
Despite its historical and ecological significance, however, the Indus is said to be the world’s second most polluted river.
Kakar thanked the World Wildlife Fund, United States Agency for International Development, Coca-Cola Foundation and Green Climate Fund for successfully developing “Recharge Pakistan” that aims to reduce climate vulnerability, calling it the first step toward Living Indus.
The project is designed to increase water storage and recharge through wetlands, floodplains and hill-torrents management.
“This will come in pieces, we understand, especially as Pakistan is facing a financial challenge,” he said, adding the flagship project with an international commitment to climate finance of nearly $78 billion was central to the country’s efforts in reducing future flooding and drought impacts.
The prime minister said flood and water resource management under the Living Indus framework would not only benefit millions of citizens but also serve as a model for climate innovation on a global scale.
“But more important is that the Living Indus initiative seeks to mobilize a movement that repairs and restores a healthy Indus for today and tomorrow,” he added.