Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief J P Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)A day after the BJP emerged as the dominant partner in the NDA in Bihar, winning 74 seats to ally JDU’s 43, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put to rest all speculation over who would lead the government, saying “every BJP and NDA worker will ensure that our pledge for the state is fulfilled under the leadership of Nitish Kumar”.
Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters in New Delhi during celebrations to mark Tuesday’s victories in Bihar and in the by-elections, the Prime Minister attributed the party’s success to its politics of development.
“Our governance model is behind the BJP’s success. When people think of governance, they think of BJP. The people of India have clearly stated that the only point of debate during elections would be development in 21st-Century India,” he said, adding development would be the main issue in future elections too.
He also said the results were a referendum on his government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“No other country has fought corona like India has. The way we’ve fought this pandemic, from janta curfew till today, has been reflected in these results,” he said.
Acknowledging the role played by women in the party’s success, the Prime Minister said they have always backed the party because they “feel that the BJP makes their life secure and safe”. He said, “BJP has a large group of silent voters who have repeatedly voted for us. The women, the Nari Shakti of our country, are our silent voters.”
Modi used the opportunity to come down heavily on the Opposition.
Without naming anyone in particular, he said, “Merit should be the basis of progress, not entitlement and family-run parties… Today, those who do not want to work hard, and cannot stand up to compete with us in a democratic manner, have stooped to new lows. They have started killing BJP workers. In a democracy, people speak and they will show that in a democracy, these killings will never ever be acceptable,” he said in a veiled reference to the BJP’s political tussle with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
BJP has already launched its campaign in West Bengal, where elections are due next year.