How did Rahul Gandhi's leadership affect the Indian National Congress in the 2018 state elections?

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Mahatma Gandhi, holding a walking stick, walks beside Sarojini Naidu during the Salt March protest in 1930, with several men following behind them. — Indian National Congress Indian National Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi (left) and Sarojini Naidu (right) on the Salt March in western India, March 1930.

In the 2018 state elections, Rahul Gandhi’s leadership was credited by some observers with helping the Indian National Congress outperform the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Hindu strongholds of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.12

While Gandhi faced criticism for being elitist and lackluster, and his outward displays of devotion to Shiva were dismissed by some as a political stunt to appeal to Hindu populism, these actions—along with his efforts to unite rival factions within the party—were viewed by some analysts as contributing factors to the Congress Party's success in those specific state contests.12