It took everyone by surprise, including us. While the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party did seem to have lost the plot rather early in the election campaign, the opinion on the outcome of the elections was confused and divided. Hence, when on May 16, the Congress-led UPA alliance took a comfortable lead over the BJP-led NDA, surprise was the feeling everywhere in the country, including within the Congress.

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took oath for the second time on May 22, exactly five years after the first occasion, the fortunes of the Congress definitely seem to be on the upswing. The party has performed better than expected practically all over the country, with a handful of exceptions. However, the single most encouraging factor for the party was its turnaround in its former bastion, Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 80 members of the entire strength of 543 in the Lok Sabha or the lower house of the Indian Parliament. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Congress improved its tally in the state, thanks almost entirely to Rahul Gandhi, son of Sonia Gandhi and the heir-apparent to the Prime Minister’s position. Gandhi had worked exclusively in the state for nearly three years to rebuild the party from a scratch. His efforts clearly have borne fruit and will now encourage the party to reclaim the centre-stage in this key state.
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