The Bhartiya Janata Party’s emphatic victory in Tripura, where it returned to power for the second time in a row, suggests that it is on the right track and enjoys the favour of people in every part of the country despite attacks from a biased opposition. The party achieved a comfortable majority in Tripura and the NDPP-BJP combine also swept the polls in Nagaland. In Meghalaya, the ruling NPP, led by chief minister Conrad Sangma, has emerged as the single largest party and is set to form the government again with the saffron party’s support.
This is a fantastic achievement which shows that the BJP is consistently expanding its footprint across the country, what with the programmes and policies of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government winning the people’s approval. The more the opposition criticizes Prime Minister Modi, the more powerful he seems to become. The Prime Minister put the issue in perspective while addressing his party’s workers outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi. “Some kattar (fanatical) people were saying ‘Mar Jaa Modi’, but the nation is saying ‘Mat Jaa Modi’ (Don’t go Modi),” he said while thanking the people of the northeast for their support.
The most significant takeaway from the BJP’s performance in the just concluded assembly elections in these northeastern states is that it signals the true assimilation of the people of this region who have for long felt alienated from the rest of India. Once the hotbed of insurgency, these areas are now witnessing development. This has convinced the residents that the government at the Centre cares for them and can be trusted to take them forward.
Contrary to the general assumption that minorities avoid supporting the BJP, the recent poll results showed that even Christians in Meghalaya and Nagaland have backed the party. Yet some rivals of Prime Minister Modi sought to belittle this achievement saying that the states where the BJP won were “small states of northeast which generally go with Central Government trend”. By saying this they have not only insulted the mandate but also exhibited a mindset that belittles the northeastern states.
With the BJP’s expanding presence across India, the party can no longer be dubbed as a ‘bania party’ or a ‘Hindi belt party.’ Ruling Tripura, Assam, Goa and Karnataka apart from Hindi-speaking states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has emerged as the most powerful national party in the country.
There is no denying that Prime Minister Modi is the prime architect of this achievement. His dynamism and vision have completely revolutionized the BJP, bringing about a sea change in its approach and tactics over the past decade. A strong believer in the power of technology, he has also ensured that the party makes the best possible use of social media tools to its advantage. With him at the helm, the BJP seems destined to set many more records in the coming months and, of course, in 2024.
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