Poll outcome stamp on Modi govt’s performance: Shah

Shah hailed the party’s performance in the state polls and by-polls as “very good”. He added the poll verdict had strengthened the BJP’s foundation for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He added that the results indicated that the country had taken two more steps towards ‘Congress-mukta Bharat’(Congree-free India), a reference to the Opposition party’s loss in Kerala and Assam, where it was in power. He also thanked the people of Assam and increased vote share in other states to party workers, state leaders and PM Narendra Modi.

“In a way, its a public approval of the two years of work done by the Narendra Modi government. It is a win of positive politics and we can see a beginning of the politics of performance. People have also given a lesson to those, who have practised negative politics and tried to derail development with their obstruction in Parliament,” he said. 

The BJP chief added: “The country has taken two more steps towards Congress-mukta Bharat. In all these places, BJP had never been able to put up a good performance. This time, a staunch foundation has been laid and a building will be created by 2019.” 

The Modi government’s pro-poor, pro-farmers and pro-village work has won people’s support, he said.

The BJP’s impressive win in Assam and double-digit vote percentage in Kerala and West Bengal, its highest-ever in Assembly polls, has come as a big boost for Shah, whose leadership had faced criticism from within the party after back to back defeats in Delhi and Bihar elections.

“The victory in Assam is crucial. It is a border state from where a Congress Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) ruled for 10 years and now we have been able to have our own government. It is a big achievement,” said Shah.

He noted that the party had pledged to strengthen its organisation in seven states, including the four whose results were declared on Thursday, and the verdict showed that it had done a good work in this regard.

He congratulated the Prime Minister, chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sharma and other leaders and workers for the Assam victory and praised the hard work of leaders in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Shah, however, reserved his sharpest words for Congress, saying that the poll results are a clear indication that whichever party will go with it will suffer.

Referring to Congress strident opposition to the government’s legislative agenda in Parliament, he said: “The Congress has lost everywhere as it has tried to settle political scores (in Parliament). It has kept politics ahead of development in Parliament and been non-cooperative. People have worked to teach it a lesson."

Union Minister Sushma Swaraj also hailed the Assam poll victory, asserting that it was the result of lifetime work done by party workers and leaders.

“My heartfelt gratitude to the people of Assam for electing a BJP government in the state. Profound greetings to the BJP workers of Assam. This victory is the result of life time work of those who dedicated their lives building the organisation in the north east. My greetings to BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” she said.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said BJP’s victory in Assam is a “happy gift” to the party and the Prime Minister on the completion of two years of NDA government at the Centre.