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India\u2019s opposition faces a \u201cherculean task\u201d in next year\u2019s general elections against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which wrested control of key states in a surprisingly strong showing<\/a> in local polls.<\/p>\n The defeat of Congress in all three heartland states, which was announced on Sunday, dashed any notion that the opposition could pose a serious challenge through a newly formed 28-party alliance led by the party that has ruled India for 54 years since independence from Britain, analysts and politicians said.<\/p>\n It also showcased the organisational strength of the BJP and the appeal of Modi\u2019s presidential-style campaigning, even though he was not on the ticket, just five months before national elections in which he will seek a third term in office.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter these results, it looks like there is no stopping Modi,\u201d said Yashwant Deshmukh, poll expert with C-Voter agency, adding that stopping Modi would be a \u201cherculean task\u201d.<\/p>\n The BJP won the regional votes in three of four major states, including central Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh which were ruled by Congress.<\/p>\n Modi swept to power in 2014<\/a> on a pitch for stability and growth from what he described as the corruption and poor governance of Congress. He consolidated his victory by boosting the economy, offering more welfare and pushing an aggressive brand of Hindu nationalism, winning a second term<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n