Important electoral battles in India and around the world in 2023

NEW DELHI: As we close out 2023, here's a brief recap of all the major elections in India and other countries that either upended expectations or firmly towed the line -- and will undoubtedly influence the upcoming critical general elections not just in India but also US and Russia.

Turkiye's incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in his country's runoff election, extending his rule into a third decade.The outcome could have implications far beyond Ankara. Turkiye stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and it plays a key role in Nato. Erdogan's government vetoed Sweden's bid to join Nato and purchased Russian missile-defense systems, which prompted the US to oust Turkiye from a US-led fighter-jet project. But it also helped broker a crucial deal that allowed Ukrainian grain shipments and averted a global food crisis.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swept to a third, six-year term as Egypt's president, winning 89.6% of votes in an election in which he faced no serious challengers. Sisi, a former general, has overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent across the political spectrum since leading the 2013 overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected leader, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sisi was elected to the presidency in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, both times with 97% of the vote. The constitution was amended in 2019, extending the presidential term to six years from four, and allowing Sisi to stand for a third term.

Ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu was declared winner of Nigeria's presidential election. Tinubu received 37% of the vote, or nearly 8.8 million, while main opposition candidate Abubakar won 29% with almost 7 million. Nigeria’s presidential election was closely watched as the country is not only the continent’s largest economy but it is also one of the continent’s top oil producers.

Javier Milei, a self-described "anarcho-capitalist", pulled off a massive upset by ousting the populist Peronist coalition that has long dominated Argentine politics. Milei's triumph signals a surge for the far-right in the Americas. Aligned with the ideologies of Donald Trump in the US and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Milei's ascent to political prominence is fueled by perspectives that evoke apprehension regarding his potential administration. His proposals include adopting the US dollar as Argentina's currency, prohibiting abortion, dismantling the public healthcare system, and transitioning public education to a voucher system.

Former conservative businessman Christopher Luxon become New Zealand's prime minister after the change in leadership that came after a six-year tenure by a liberal government, primarily led by Jacinda Ardern. Luxon campaigned on promises of tax cuts for middle-income earners and a crackdown on crime, while Hipkins had advocated for free dental care for those under 30 and the elimination of sales taxes on fruits and vegetables.

Karnataka witnessed a seismic shift in its political landscape, dominated by the state Congress. The year marked a significant victory for the grand old party as it wrested power from the BJP, setting the stage for the impending 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress delivered a resounding blow to the BJP, uprooting them from their stronghold in South India. The May assembly polls proved to be a watershed moment, with the party securing an impressive 136 out of 224 seats, marking a notable increase from its 2018 performance. This victory, with a 43.2% vote share, stands as the party's largest since the 1989 elections.

The BJP secured victory in Rajasthan, winning 115 out of the 199 assembly seats. The Congress, aiming to break the trend of the incumbent being voted out every five years, managed to bag 69 seats. Later, the BJP named Sanganer MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma as the new chief minister of Rajasthan. He won the Sanganer seat in 2023, defeating Congress's Pushpendra Bhardwaj with a margin of 48,081 votes.

The Congress party made a historic comeback by sweeping the Telangana legislative assembly polls by defeating the dominating rival Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the results, Congress emerged victorious with 64 seats while BRS managed to get just 39 seats in the 119-seats assembly. Later, Anumula Revanth Reddy was sworn in as the chief minister of Telangana, marking a historic moment as the first Congress CM of the youngest state in India. Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu also took the oath as the deputy CM of the state, established in 2014.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a big win in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. The BJP secured a resounding victory, winning 163 out of 230 constituencies. While the BJP observed a rise in vote share across 200 seats in the 2023 polls compared to previous general assembly elections, it clinched victory in only 163 seats. Similarly, Congress also saw an increase in vote share across 100 constituencies but could only secure 66 seats. Later, the BJP picked Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav as the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. He will succeed four-time CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The BJP not only defied exit poll projections but also raced towards its biggest-ever victory in Chhattisgarh, winning 54 of the 90 assembly seats and wresting power from Congress. PM Modi's emphasis on the corruption allegations resonated with voters. Later, Mohan Yadav was sworn in as the 19th chief minister of Madhya Pradesh in a grand but brief ceremony in Bhopal's Motilal Nehru Stadium in the presence of PM Narendra Modi.

With the declaration of results for the assembly elections in Northeast this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power in Tripura and Nagaland by winning an absolute majority. Meanwhile, in Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, who leads the National People's Party (NPP), is all set to return as chief minister. The BJP has extended its support to NPP in forming the new government in the state, soon after Sangma reached out to Union home minister Amit Shah.
In a major setback to MNF and BJP-led NDA Govt in Mizoram, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) sweeps the assembly polls and is all set to form government. ZPM surpassed the 21-seat majority mark in the 40-seat assembly by winning 27 seats. On the other hand, incumbent Mizo National Front (MNF) registered victory in just 10 seats while CM Zoramthanga lost Aizawl East-I seat to Lalthansanga of ZPM by 2,101 votes.