Big Win in 4 States, Out in 1, Eyes Now on Gujarat: As PM Modi Flashes Victory Sign, a Look at BJP's Growth

Flashing victory sign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a roadshow in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, a day after big win in Uttar Pradesh along with comeback in Uttarakhand Manipur and Goa. The only state where BJP couldn’t make an impact was Punjab, where it secured just two seats — one seat lesser than its former ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Riding in an open jeep decorated with floral garlands, Modi waved to the hundreds of supporters who gathered by the roadside as his roadshow began from the airport to Kamalam, BJP’s state headquarters in Gandhinagar.

Later in the day, Modi is also scheduled to address a rally of over one lakh elected representatives of panchayat bodies as part of his two-day visit to Gujarat, a state BJP leader said. Modi’s visit to his home state comes a day after the declaration of results of the Assembly elections in five states. Gujarat will go to polls at the end of this year.

Holi came a week early for the BJP as an incumbent government returned to power in UP after over three decades, with the party riding on the enduring charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s effective implementation of welfare programmes and a ceaseless campaign against crime and criminals.

As the BJP retained its grip on the four states, further fortifying its positions ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party wrested Punjab from the Congress, which lay shorn of power in yet another state, adding to a string of electoral losses.

Since Punjab was carved out as a separate state in 1966, the BJP hit one of the lowest ebbs in their electoral history of region. Its former ally Shiromani Akali Dal, the 100-year-old, too couldn’t get to double digit mark, registering its worst-ever electoral performance in the 13 Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections held after the reorganisation in 1966.

Many are seeing Aam Aadmi Party’s stunning victory in Punjab as a threat to several parties as Arvind Kejriwal’s party is just short of two states from becoming a national party.

AAP’s Akshay Marathe told a news channel that they have already planned campaigns in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. “Yes, we are definitely going to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. These are two states on our radar and the party has been sending party workers to these states and we will definitely have a big impact. For decades people of India have had to decide between two parties who did not work for them. For the first time, they are seeing an alternative to both, and people want change,” he was quoted as saying.

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