The results of the past three Assembly polls here show that the BJP has been able to increase its vote share in the State each time but it has hardly helped the party win substantial number of seats. Since the first Assembly polls for the re-established state Assembly in 1993, the BJP has won only one election (1993 polls), while the Congress has won three consecutive elections in 1998, 2003 and 2008.
In the 2008 polls, the BJP got 22.44 lakh votes, a vote share of 36.34 per cent, but won only 23 of 70 Assembly seats. In contrast, the Congress, which polled 24.90 lakh votes, emerged victorious in 43 seats.
Similarly in 2003, the BJP received 15.89 lakh votes but won only 20 seats, while the Congress got 21.72 lakh votes and secured 47 seats.
In the 1998 Assembly polls, the BJP had polled 13.90 lakh votes, a vote share of over 34 per cent, but won merely 15 seats. The Congress, however, secured 52 seats on 19.52 lakh votes.