If there is one thing that has become clear, it is that UP wanted this. They wanted the BJP. But it is also clear that they wanted the BJP less than they wanted it last time. The BJP's seat share has gone down and the SP's seat share has risen from 47 to 120+.

The thrust towards change was there but it just wasn't enough. Of course, there are no second prizes for anyone at the end of an election, but UP now definitely has a stronger Opposition. And hopefully, it also has a government that realises it can't rely on an eternally benevolent electorate.

After its Punjab victory, the AAP has declared itself the Congress' "national and natural replacement". While that day may be far off and perhaps unbelievable in the face of a strong BJP wave right now, I think it was always clear that the BJP isn't just going to drop off and die.

This was always going to be a long term struggle. And it was always going to be a struggle fought by a strong opposition. We don't have that strong opposition yet, but we do have one that is stronger than it was yesterday. The BJP will not return to the shape it was in the beginning.

It's retaining its spot, but it's not spreading further. And with each passing day, its hold on what it already possesses grows just a little weaker. With each passing day, it fails to win more. The fight isn't over. It's just going to take longer. That's all.

You were under an oppressive government yesterday. You are under it today. You were fighting it yesterday. You're fighting it today and will fight it tomorrow. Nothing has changed for you. All that has changed is that your enemy is a little weaker today than it was yesterday.