The Congress party lost the general elections in December badly as the stage is set for a battle royale in 2014 at the Lok Sabha elections.
The year 2013 saw many moving and shaking moments in Indian politics from the states to the centre from the BJP to the Congress.
New faces, bills and political parties ensured that there were many changes in Indian politics. The highlights are many but here are some happenings that will go down in the history of the year 2013.
Preparing for the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Congress announced Rahul Gandhi as the party's vice-president with Sonia Gandhi as the president.
The Congress yuvraj's rise was followed by problems for the party as DMK pulled out of the UPA. Also, Pawan Kumar Bansal, then the railways minister, and Ashwani Kumar, then the law minister were accused of corruption in railway and coal scam respectively and they were forced to resign after that.
The BJP pulled a masterstroke as they named Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate.
Modi has the rise of Gujarat as a state besides being a well-loved leader in the party to his credit that lead to the announcement. After that wherever he has gone, the Gujarat CM has drawn huge crowds ratifying his party trust.
The government also passed the landmark Food Security Bill, Lokpal Bill, Land Acquisition Bill among others. The tainted lawmakers ordinance that protected convicted MPs and MLAs was quashed after Rahul Gandhi took credit following a very public outburst.
Anna Hazare's fasts for the cause bore fruit with Lokpal passage.
The proposal for the creation of a new state of Telangana was approved by the Indian cabinet which lead to widespread protests all over the southern states as top politicians took sides in the matter.
The five states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh went to the polls which was touted as the semi-finals before the final at the Lok Sabha later in 2014. The Congress was annihilated as it succeeded in only retaining power in Mizoram. The record voter turn outs was a highlight of the polls as was NOTA (None of the above) that offered voters the chance to cast a vote for this option which was exercised effectively.
In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party and its rise to rule the Vidhan Sabha with 28 seats and Congress support to form the government was a story that made headlines in India as well as the world.
Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in the fodder scam as his protection was blown thanks to the ordinance against tainted lawmakers being stalled. The RJD chief however managed to get out on bail.
With the Lok Sabha elections set for 2014 all political parties will be on their toes to ensure that they win their seats and can form the government. The coming year is set to see an intense battle in the first five months as politicians will try to leverage as much traction as they can ahead of the polls.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}