Exit poll results: What the massive victory wave can spell for PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Several exit polls have predicted victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done relentless campaigning for his party, especially in Uttar Pradesh. Positive results will boost PM Modi's image and give him more control over the government and the party as well as bright prospects for the next Lok Sabha polls.

Below are the major gains for PM Modi from the BJP victory in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur:

1. The stamp of approval
Since PM Modi himself spearheaded the party campaign, the BJP victory will put a final stamp on the popularity of PM Modi and the approval of his policies—especially demonetisation—by the masses.

The image boost may not yield any immediate concrete benefits to him but will certainly launch a wind in his favour for the next Lok Sabha elections.

Read Also: ​ Exit Polls Assembly Elections 2017

2. The Rajya Sabha boost
PM Modi will be able to increase the number of BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha where his party is in minority and faces hurdles in passing legislations. A majority in Rajya Sabha will ensure smooth rollout of Modi's reform agenda which has faced stiff opposition in Rajya Sabha so far.

He will be now more confident in implementing the policies he had promised in the last Lok Sabha elections.

3. New formula passes test
The BJP, which has been seen as a party of upper castes, has changed its strategy in Uttar Pradesh elections where it has tried to form an alliance of non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits against Samajwadi Party's Yadav vote bank and Bahujan Samajwadi Party's Jatav vote bank. PM Modi himself belongs to an other backward caste.

The victory will mean success for PM Modi's new strategy. He will feel encouraged to apply this strategy elsewhere and might end up transforming the BJP into a party of lower castes and the poor, which will mean it will be hard to defeat anywhere in India.