Today is a big day in Indian politics. Counting is in the way. But it’s important to understand why this matters. Congress, is down to three and a half states, Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram and Puducherry. This is a battle of survival. If Congress loses Karnataka, it will be down to its worst ever performance nationally. This is the first election after Rahul Gandhi took over the party.

This is an equally important election for the BJP. For the BJP this is about consolidating its dominance. Since 2014, BJP has emerged as the primary poll of Indian politics. But the south has been most formidably resistant to the BJP’s influence.