The CPI(M) has said that the BJP’s sweeping victory in Uttar Pradesh has been accomplished by a mix of rank communal appeal and by putting together a wide ranging caste coalition. “It was this combination that propelled Narendra Modi and the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in the state and that momentum has been maintained,” CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement.

While acknowledging the mandate that the BJP has received, the party added that it also has implications that are “dangerous” for the country. The party claimed that it will encourage the brand of Hindutva politics which is divisive and harmful for the country.

“The BJP has also registered success with a big win in Uttarakhand and dislodging the Congress from government there. It however, suffered a setback in Punjab where the Akali-BJP alliance has suffered a big defeat with the Congress winning a clear majority. The BJP has failed to get a majority in the Goa assembly while the Congress appears to have lost its dominant position in Manipur,” the statement added.