2003 and 2004 Elections
Assembly elections were held in four Indian states in December 2003 - Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Mahajan was put in charge of Rajasthan. The BJP consciously chose to play down the Hindutva platform. Nonetheless, the elections turned out to be a resounding victory for the BJP, which won in three of the four states. Emboldened by this success, Vajpayee called early elections in 2004 and Mahajan was given charge of the campaign. However, the BJP performed unexpectedly poorly in them, losing power to the Indian National Congress. Mahajan personally accepted responsibility for this defeat.
Read more about this topic: Pramod Mahajan
Famous quotes containing the word elections:
“In my public statements I have earnestly urged that there rested upon government many responsibilities which affect the moral and spiritual welfare of our people. The participation of women in elections has produced a keener realization of the importance of these questions and has contributed to higher national ideals. Moreover, it is through them that our national ideals are ingrained in our children.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)