| > I don't see how elections are relevant here Everything revolves around elections in India. It is a highly political environment and elections are a big business (just getting a party ticket nomination to campaign for an MLA seat itself costs around $10-20 million). And the public sentiment against big business in India has gotten much stronger lately due to the past several years of inflation. Jibes against Adani and the stock market crash in 2024 after the General Election solidified that view. > If not Bihar, then West Bengal West Bengal state elections don't matter - it's not a swing state, and the local TMC has removed any breathing room for other parties like the BJP, INC, or CPIM in the WB political arena. Bihar on the other hand is a swing state which is up for grabs this year due to the succession crisis within the ruling JD(U), and it's election is always used as a petri dish for messaging and campaigning across Hindi-speaking North India. The Bihar and UP state elections always set the tone for the General Election. The others are important, but nowhere near as important. |