Hope pundits have courage to say 2022 has decided 2024: PM Modi

With the BJP set to form governments again in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, Modi said: “A hill state adjacent to the border, a coastal state, a state with special blessings of Mother Ganga and a state on the northeastern border, the BJP has received blessings from all four directions.”

“The challenges of these states are different, the path of their development journey is different, but what is common, weaving them in the same thread, is the trust in BJP, in the BJP’s policies, intentions and decisions,” he said.

If the verdict was a stamp of approval for the BJP in elections considered a test for the Lok Sabha polls still two years away, it had the Congress flailing again, the party stock sliding further despite a high-octane campaign by Gandhi siblings Priyanka and Rahul. Voted out of Punjab, it was leading only on two seats in UP where its vote share had dropped to a little over 2 per cent.

For the BJP, the taste of victory was sweeter in UP where Yogi Adityanath broke the comeback jinx of almost four decades. Not only did he stave off the challenge from the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP, but eclipsed all others in the fray, reducing the Congress, BSP and Others to single digits.

In Lucknow, Adityanath said people have “buried the politics of caste and religion” by ensuring the victory of BJP and its allies under Modi’s leadership. “The mammoth victory of the party proves that the politics of development and good governance has been blessed by the people of UP. We will take forward our pledge of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose party got a stunning mandate in Punjab, said: “Pehle Dilli mein inquilab hua, phir Punjab mein inquilab hua, ab yeh inquilab poore desh ke andar phailega (The revolution came to Delhi first, then Punjab, now it will spread to the entire country).”

As his party spokespersons pitched the AAP as a “replacement” for the Congress, Kejriwal said: “Badi badi kursiyaan hil gayi hain Punjab ke andar (thrones have been shaken in Punjab). Sukhbir Singh Badal lost, Captain Saheb lost, Channi Saheb lost, Parkash Singh Badal Saheb lost, Navjot Singh Sidhu lost, Vikram Singh Majithia lost. People of Punjab have worked wonders, and this is a big revolution.”

Prime Minister Modi described the mandate for the BJP as “pro-poor and proactive”. He said the poor were “tired of knocking on government doors for basic facilities” and had to pay bribes earlier for basic facilities like electricity and phones. “For them, good governance and delivery are very important. BJP understands this.”

Mentioning his own experience of over 20 years as an administrator, including his stint as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi said he understands how much effort it takes to ensure that schemes reach the last person. “We improved governance delivery systems, and brought transparency in the entire process. BJP gives hope to the poor, that government schemes will reach every poor. And I will not sit easy till I get the poor their rights. We will reach every poor person… 100 percent beneficiaries.”

He praised women voters who “showered much love and blessings” on the party. “Whenever women have voted more than men, BJP has got a bumper victory,” he said, adding that women have become “the drivers of BJP’s victory” and “they have faith that the government understands their smallest needs”.

Attacking the Opposition, the Prime Minister said: “I am not against any family, I care about democracy.” Dynastic politics, he said, “has hurt their states and taken them backward. I am happy that voters have understood and voted to strengthen democracy. This continuous debate is necessary in a democracy like India.” He said he was confident that “there will be a day when people will ensure the sun sets on dynastic politics in the country” and these results show “what is to come”.