With wins in four states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,Manipur and Goa – the jubilant prime minister Narendra Modi has termed it a reflection of the country’s mood for the next 25 years placing BJP in a comfortable position for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“After the 2019 LS polls, some gyanis (intellectuals) said that there was nothing special about it as it had been decided in the 2017 UP assembly polls. I wish that these gyanis will once again show the courage to say publicly that the 2022 assembly election results have determined the fate of the 2024 LS polls,” overwhelmed Modi said while addressing the cheering party workers at BJP headquarters.
Decoding success of UP, Modi said, “UP opted for development-oriented politics but there were political pundits who still tried to develop a narrative that the state was still divided along caste and communal lines.” “In UP, one of the reasons for our victory is that people have faced the brunt of this type of politics for years,” Modi added.
“Women’s power has relentlessly supported BJP. Results have shown that in places where women voted more than men, BJP has won with bumper margins,” the PM said. Besides lauding the higher participation of women voters, Modi also spoke about the role played by youth and first-time voters.“I am not someone who can sit peacefully without helping the poor get their rights. We will reach every poor person,” he promised.
Despite the loss in Punjab, Modi applauded party cadres of the state. “In coming years, BJP will emerge as a strong political force in Punjab,” he said. Without naming any outfit, the prime minister said that Punjab is a border state and it has to be saved from the politics of separatism. “For this, BJP will continue to perform its duty in the state,” Modi said.
“Today I want to share some of my concerns. Common people are involved in the development of the country but some people are lowering the level of politics,” PM Modi remarked.He also alleged that during COVID-19, “some people tried to mislead the country” by casting aspersion against India’s vaccination programme. In reference to the crisis in Ukraine, he said: “These people also tried to cause great worries among the students and their families.”
In an oblique reference to the ongoing action against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, Prime Minister Modi came down heavily on opposition parties virtually challenging his political detractors for making accusations against probe agencies for targeting the corrupt. “People expect us to punish the corrupt and take strict action. Should I fulfil this expectation or not? But when independent institutions act against the corrupt, these people and their ecosystem seek to attack these institutions. They do not have trust even in the judiciary,” Modi added.
Modi’s remarks against political corruption assume significance in view of ongoing probes against most of the politicians of the country who allegedly indulged in the act of commission or omission while in power for having unlawful direct or indirect gains in performance of their public duty on a post of official decision making.
In Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav family including his son Akhilesh, foster son Prateek and his brother-in-law Aman Bisht are in the ambit of one or the other probe agencies – just evading judicial proceedings adopting delaying tactics since 2012 Supreme Court judgement about disproportionate assets and pending controversies ridden CBI probe. Many politicians and bureaucrats or more or less on the same path resulting in collapse of rule of law and corruption control mechanism. In Uttar Pradesh the provident fund of power sector employees has been syphoned off investing in unsecured Dewan Housing Finance Corporation allegedly by some top bureaucrats and State of UP has not granted sanction to CBI for prosecuting them. The scam took place in BJP rule wherein CBI is probing the case.
The problem is not with the agencies but the politics of convenience and lack of political will create suspicion in public minds due to selective action. It will be good for the nation if Modi does it unbiasedly. But no sincerity is visible to make Lokpal organisation functional and effective to deal with corruption at highpolitical and administrative levels.
| A stamp of approval for BJP’s Model of Governance: Yogi
Thanking the people of UP, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the consecutive victory of BJP as approval of “BJP’s model of nationalism, progress and good governance.” “Everyone had their eyes on UP, since it is the most populous state in the country. I am thankful to the people for making us win with an overwhelming majority,” he said addressing state BJP workers. |
| Will continue to raise issues in legislature, on streets: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday broke his silence and thanked the people of Uttar Pradesh for increasing his tally by two-and-a-half times and said his party had shown that the BJP’s seats could be reduced. “The Samajwadi Party drastically improved on its seats tally as well as the vote percentage. But the party, along with its allies, failed to stall the BJP’s return to power in the state,” he said. Yadav said the SP will continue to raise public/developmental issues, both in the legislature and on streets. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is likely to name his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav to be the leader of SP alliance who will act as leader of Opposition. Party sources express possibility that both Akhilesh Yadav and Mohd. Azam Khan may resign from the membership and continue as members of Lok Sabha.
Jayant congratulates MLAs Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, in a tweet in Hindi, had said: “I respect the public mandate. Congratulations to all the winner MLAs. Hope they will work as per the public aspirations. Party workers worked, and the struggle will go on.”
Struggle to continue, says Rajbhar The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said: “I respect people’s support and love to the SP-SBSP alliance and the mandate by them. The struggle will continue.”
Shivpal thanks people for creating strong opposition Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) chief Shivpal Yadav stated: “I honour the public mandate from the bottom of my heart and congratulate them for creating a strong opposition.”
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| Mamata takes a dig at Modi: “He is daydreaming’
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that the BJP’s victory in the four states reflects the mood of the nation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “The BJP should stop daydreaming,” she said. The Trinamool Congress chief cast a shadow of doubt over the BJP’s record win in Uttar Pradesh, along with those in other states, saying it wasn’t a popular mandate but a victory with the help of “election machinery and central forces and agencies.” “Through the use of election machinery and central forces and agencies, they (BJP) have won a few states and now they are jumping around. They play a kettle drum but they cannot make music. For music, you need a harmonium,” she said at a news briefing in Kolkata. “If a DM (Varanasi’s Additional District Magistrate) is suspended for removing an EVM (Electronic Voting Machine), then it is a huge thing. I feel Akhilesh has been made to lose. There was loot. Akhilesh should not be depressed and upset. He should go to the people and challenge this,” Ms Banerjee added, referring to the controversy surrounding the videos of EVMs flagged by the Samajwadi Party. “All EVMs should undergo forensic tests to see if these were the same machines used by people to vote and then brought in for counting. If the BJP has won, it has not won by the popular vote. It’s not a popular mandate, it’s a machinery mandate,” she said. Talking about the 2024 elections, she said, “I say that all political parties that want to fight BJP must work together. There is no point in depending on the Congress. Congress was earlier capturing the entire country through their organisation, but they are not interested anymore, and they are losing their credibility. There are so many regional political parties. All must be working together and the decision on this can definitely be taken.”
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