ABSTRACT
The defeat of the Congress party by the BJP once again in the November 2008 assembly elections raises the significant issue of the future of the grand old party in MP. Given the fact that MP has a two-party system and that large swings from one party to the other are seen in State Assembly elections, despite the massive lead the BJP had built up in 2003, it was expected that the Congress, if it put in some effort, might be able to wrest power. Two other factors that had furthered this hope were first, the Congress was in power at the centre and therefore was in a position to mount a strong campaign. Second, it was felt that the formation of the breakaway Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) party by Uma Bharati in revolt against the BJP, and other smaller parties such as the BSP, Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) would break the two-party system which could work to the advantage of the Congress.
