Gujarat polls triumph testament to BJP’s efforts, all-round support: Modi

PM Modi that the development agenda will remain the focus of the BJP’s politics over the next 25 years as it works to will bequeath a developed India to the next generation by the time the country attains 100 years of independence in 2047

Crediting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for changing India’s political vocabulary by shifting the focus to development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the record-breaking victory in Gujarat was down to support from all sections, including women and young people, and served as a testimony to the party’s steadfast commitment despite attacks against him and the party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Thursday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

He said that the development agenda will remain the focus of the BJP’s politics over the next 25 years as it works to will bequeath a developed India to the next generation by the time the country attains 100 years of independence in 2047.

Modi described the election results as a lesson for political parties that created fissures, and said that the people of this country were watching them. “Fault lines ko gira kar hi desh ujjwal hoga (the country will prosper when the fault lines are removed),” Modi said.

Addressing party cadres at the BJP headquarters hours after a record-breaking seventh successive assembly poll victory in Gujarat, Modi thanked voters for propelling the party to a historic 156 seats with an unprecedented vote share of 52.5%. He also hailed workers in Himachal Pradesh, where the party lost to the Congress but the difference in the vote share was less than 1%.

“I had told voters in Gujarat, this time Narendra’s record should be broken, and I had promised that I will work hard to ensure a record for Bhupendra (CM Bhupendra Patel). The people broke not just that record, they set a benchmark, breaking all records since the state was formed. This is the most thunderous mandate, and the people have created history!” he said.

Downplaying the party’s defeat in Himachal, where the BJP was trying to buck the anti-incumbency trend by retaining power, the PM said the narrow margin of defeat was an indication that it was not a vote against them. “I am indebted to all the people in Himachal Pradesh. There is less than 1% difference in the vote share, this is unprecedented... When governments change, the difference is between 5-7% but this time it is less than 1%, which shows that the people made efforts to make the BJP win,” Modi said, assuring the people that the Union government’s commitment towards development of the state will be 100%.

He said the party’s performance was indicative of people’s love for the party. He said the preference for the BJP comes at a time when the country has entered Amrit Kal, or the journey to 100 years of Independence, and the coming decades years will be marked by the politics of development.

Modi said that, apart from its development agenda, the BJP gets votes because it carries out big and difficult tasks for the betterment of the nation. “The support for BJP shows that there is public anger against corruption and dynastic politics and I see this as a good sign for democracy,” he said.

The BJP has mounted a scathing attack in recent months against the Opposition parties for dynastic politics — from the Congress for setting a long tradition of leaders from the same family, to regional satraps from the National Conference in Jammu & Kashmir to the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh to the TRS in Telangana.

Making a pointed reference to the support that the BJP gets from women and young people, the PM said both the constituencies of voters have preferred the BJP based on the delivery of targeted schemes. The youth, he said, want the BJP’s development agenda driven politics and are not swayed by dynastic or caste politics.

“In Gujarat, over one crore voters cast their ballot and have never seen the Congress’s misrule. It is the tendency of youth to ask questions, assess and then vote. They don’t vote for anyone because the leader comes from a big family or having been in power. They do so when they can see the government’s work...the youth have voted and broken all records. The message is clear. The youth have assessed our work and have shown their faith in it,” he said.

He said if post-election analyses are carried out honestly, they will find that after Independence it is for the first time there is a government that is continually making policy targeted at the welfare of women. “No other government has done for the women what the BJP has done so far,” he said.

Modi said that the BJP does not look at short-term gains like some other parties do, but focusses on wider and long-term nation-building mission. “We do not make announcements with small gains in mind. We have a road map and are far sighted. The county is not looking at short cuts. The voters are aware of what is in their favour and what is not; they recognise the implications of a short cut method. Today there is no doubt that if the country thrives everyone’s development is guaranteed,” he said.

Without naming the AAP, which made poll promises of providing free electricity, water, education and health care, Modi said the implications of overshooting the budget are well known. “Our ancestors had ample experience and they highlighted the perils of spending more than the earning... we have seen the implications of this in our neighbourhood. Today all parties will have to remember that poll tricks will not be in any one’s benefit,” he said.

The PM did not specify who he was referring to, but lashed out at people who “pretend to be neutral, but play games, and change colour”.

“People should know that those who claim to be ‘neutral’ are ‘thekedaars’, and honesty cannot be expected from them,” the PM said.

He also warned the cadre that personal attacks against him and the party will intensify in the coming days.

“There is no aspect of my life that has been bitterly torn apart.... we have to continuously move forward in the midst of this oppression. We have to increase our tolerance and understanding. We also have to expand service and win with service,” he said to thunderous applause and chants of “Modi, Modi” reverberating through the BJP headquarters.