New Delhi: A day after fashioning a spectacular victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the electorate was signalling the emergence of a “New India”.
In this New India, he said, while governments will be formed by majority, governance will be done by consensus and a key stakeholder will be the poor; Modi has often remarked that the government’s driving ideology is in ‘Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas’ (A government which believes in development for everyone).
The prime minister exhorted people to volunteer in realizing this new India by 2022 when the country celebrates its 75th independence.
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Not only has the PM coined a new slogan, he is also implicitly signalling a fundamental shift in domestic politics—the scale of BJP’s victory in UP could not have been achieved without overcoming the traditional confines of social identity.
“The strength of the poor and the aspirations of the middle class will take India to new heights. The burden on the middle class should reduce, it will enable the middle class to shine. I am seeing a new India for the aspirations of the youth, new India for empowerment of women and new India for better opportunities for the poor,” Modi said in a speech at the BJP party headquarter on Sunday. He was there for the parliamentary board meeting of the BJP.
In the course of his victory speech amid continuous chanting of “Modi” by party workers, the PM assured the people of the five states that held assembly elections—Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa—that the new governments would work for all.
“The government is both for those who walked with us and also for those who didn’t support us. Government is for everyone and it will work for the development of all. It is possible that we can make mistakes because of lack of experience; it is human to do so. But we will never approach any decision with a wrong intent,” Modi added.
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The prime minister reiterated that after winning the general elections in 2014 the government had worked with credibility, hard work and consensus building. “Governments are formed by majority but it functions with consensus,” said Modi.
During his speech, Modi also cautioned party leaders and workers of BJP that governments are formed not to enjoy the fruits of power but to serve the people and work for the upliftment of the poor. Modi also said that with each victory, as the BJP becomes bigger and stronger, the party members should become humbler.
“We have won in Uttar Pradesh at a time when we are celebrating the birth centenary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay. We should not forget the sacrifice of our leaders who worked tirelessly for the party,” Modi added.
Addressing his supporters, Modi said this election was won on the theme of development and not by playing on the emotions of the electorate. “The huge mandate for BJP has come after a huge increase in the percentage of voter participation. Election is not only about government formation but it also teaches us about democracy,” Modi said.
Political analysts say the PM was sending out a clear signal that party leaders and members should be humble in victory and must work for the betterment of poor with humility.
“Prime Minister also addressed two very crucial segments in his speech, the poor and the middle class, these two segments can decide the fate of any government and political party or leader. He also asked BJP members to work for the people and be humble,” said A.K. Verma, a Kanpur-based political analyst and political science professor at Christ Church College.
