NEW DELHI: With a spectacular electoral victory in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, the BJP has heralded a new era in the political history of India’s northeastern states.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi succinctly put it in his address to the party workers after the announcement of the results, it showed that the northeastern states are now “na Dilli se door, na dil se door’.
“In past years, BJP has witnessed several such occasions. Today, we got another such occasion. I am thankful to people of Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. People of these states have given full support to the BJP and its allies,” PM Modi said.
There was a time that elections used to happen in the northeast and results would be out, but not much would be discussed except poll violence and blockades, he reminded.
“But this time, we saw a huge change in the northeast. We are seeing a northeast that is now a reflection of new thinking,” PM Modi asserted.
Triveni is the reason
“Many political analysts are trying to understand the reason for the victory of the BJP. Some of our well-wishers want to know the reason. The reason is ‘Triveni’. The first power is the work of the BJP governments, the second one is the work style of the BJP and the last one is the karyakartas of the BJP,” he added.
Narendra Modi
Prime Ministe
Buoyed by the BJP’s election performance in Christian dominated Nagaland and Meghalaya, the Prime minister said the results had comprehensively busted the myth that the BJP does not command acceptance among the minorities.
He predicted that like the northeastern states and Goa which, despite being minority dominated, were electing BJP governments, Kerala too would soon give BJP and allies a chance.
Left, Cong blasted
Coming down heavily on the Left and the Congress for striking “an unholy alliance in Tripura while rivalling each other in Kerala”, the PM, in his victory address at BJP headquarters, said, “Some opposition leaders and their ecosystems have tried hard for decades to perpetuate myths and stick labels at us—that we are a baniya party, a Hindi belt party; an urban middle class party without a rural base.”
The BJP, he said, has dismantled all these myths, including the myth that tribals do not support it. Gujarat was a shining example of generous ST support. For years, fear mongering has also been done among minorities about the BJP. But Goa has exposed this myth.
“In the northeast, too, the BJP is constantly gaining ground in Christian dominated belts. As more and more myths get busted, the BJP will expand further. I am sure Kerala too, like Goa and NE, will elect a BJP alliance government.” PM Modi assured the party workers.
Hailing voters of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya for choosing peace and stability, the PM questioned the Congress which, while making light of its debacle today, said “these are small states.”
“This hate for small states and small people will spell further doom for the Congress in upcoming polls,” the PM said, accusing past governments of ducking challenging issues to settle for a life of easy publicity.
“We took these challenges head-on to ease the lives of people. Thousands of villages in the northeast didn’t have electricity 70 years after Independence because past governments looked the other way thinking it is difficult to arrange electricity. We did not do that. For us India and Indians are first,” PM Modi said to thunderous applause.
Earlier the PM asked top leaders – BJP chief JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and others – to put on their mobile flashlights as a gesture of gratitude to the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya for “choosing BJP and allies”.
Faith in democracy
The impressive performance put up by the BJP in the northeast, where it retained power in Tripura and became part of the winning coalition in Nagaland and Meghalaya, has cheered up the party.
“The results of these elections show people’s strong faith in democracy and democratic institutions in the country,” PM Modi said.
He also praised the BJP workers in the three northeast states for the good show. “Our party workers in the northeast work much, much harder than all of us here. They face many challenges,” the PM said, drawing huge applause amid chanting “Modi, Modi, Modi”.
