Mumbai/New Delhi, Dec. 6 -- A big factor behind the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) struggles in Maharashtra was the party's inability to translate its national popularity into state-level votes. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the distress-hit region of Vidarbha, home to a large section of the state's tribal population. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP got 49% of the vote share in Vidarbha in the seats they contested but could only manage 40% in the subsequent Assembly elections. As Jharkhand, another state with significant poor and tribal population, heads for the polls, the BJP could face another struggle to win votes.
Jharkhand is one of India's poorest states and the ongoing economic slowdown has likely hit the state h...