The results of elections to five Indian provincial assemblies are in, including three from the country's Hindi-speaking heartland, and with that comes a creeping sense of deja vu.

In 2004, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held power in New Delhi. Heading into the national polls on the slogan of "India Shining" - growth had perked up under its watch and the world had begun to beat a path to its door - the government seemed assured of a second stint. Then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a brilliant orator noted for wisecracks and a folksy style, was popular around the nation.