PM Modi decries "misconception" that BJP is Hindi heartland party

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday decried the "misconception" that the BJP was a Hindi heartland party, saying the Lok Sabha poll results were a testimony to its popularity across the country and stressing that "chemistry has triumphed over arithmetic". "Political pundits are not aware that their thinking and logic are meant for the 20th century. The results show that beyond arithmetic, there is chemistry, and this time, chemistry has triumphed over arithmetic," the prime minister said.

Modi, who will be taking oath as the prime minister for the second time on May 30, said the hat-trick of poll victories in Uttar Pradesh -- in 2014, 2017 and 2019 -- was no mean achievement for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "For the country, I am the PM, but for you, I am your MP, your sevak (servant)," he told the voters of Varanasi and wondered how political pundits still considered the BJP a Hindi heartland party.

"There is no region where the BJP's poll percentage is not rising. We have a government is Assam, we are getting elected in Ladakh, yet political pundits say (ours is ) Hindi heartland politics. This is a misconception that has been created," he said. Thanking the party workers for braving the sweltering summer heat to reach out to the electorate and ensuring that the campaign went on smoothly, Modi said they had passed the test with distinction.

Admitting that politics was about perceptions, he lamented that a wrong impression was created about the BJP through lies and incorrect logic. "Because of this wrong perception, people do not like standing with us. But those creating a bad and wrong perception can be defeated with the help of transparency and hard work. This is the strategy to trounce it," the prime minister said.

Stressing on the importance of coordination between the government and the ruling party, he said, "The perfect synergy between the government and the party organisation results in big power and the BJP has realised it. "The government makes policies, while the organisation makes strategies. The synergy of policies ('neeti') and strategies ('ranneeti') is the mirror of the government and the organisation and the country is getting its benefits."

"Work and workers create wonders," Modi said, giving full credit for the poll victory to the grassroots-level workers for creating awareness about his government's policies and programmes among the people. Modi, who took part in a "puja" at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in thanksgiving for the BJP's landslide victory earlier in the day, also spoke about the dangers faced by his party in the form of "political untouchability".

"Take the cases of Kerala or Kashmir, Bengal or Tripura, it will not come in the media. Some people have selective sensitivity. Hundreds of workers have been killed only for a political ideology. "In Tripura, workers were hanged. In Bengal, killings are still going on. In Kerala too...perhaps, in India, only one political party has faced such killings. Violence has been given legitimacy. This is danger before us," he pointed out.

Ambedkar and Gandhi had shunned untouchability but unfortunately, political untouchability was rising, he said. Modi's remarks assume significance in the light of a BJP leader's killing in Amethi in the first post-poll incident of violence in Uttar Pradesh. Amid such hatred, the BJP's mantra remained "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas", he said, adding that unlike others, the saffron party had not come under the pressure of vote-bank politics that had "ruined" democracy. Modi said he was grateful to his opponents who fought against him.

Stressing on the significance of opposition in a democracy, he said, "When others come to power, there is no sign of any opposition." The prime minister cited the example of Tripura, where, he said, there was no opposition during the decades of Left rule, adding that "now that we are in the government, there is a robust opposition. This is the spirit of democracy".

Thanking Uttar Pradesh for showing the way to the country and strengthening the foundation of a healthy democracy, Modi also spoke about his Kedarnath visit after the conclusion of polling. "Since the people of Kashi had ordered me not to come here for a month after filing my nomination papers, I thought if not the 'baba' in Kashi, then elsewhere," he said, adding that perhaps no other candidate was as satisfied as he was (before the poll results were announced) and the reason for that was the confidence of the people of Varanasi. Modi, who offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple here, visited the temple town four days after steering his party to a huge win in the parliamentary polls. The BJP won 303 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls.

Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah said Modi had only shown a glimpse of development and Varanasi would turn into an amazing city in the next five years. Hinting at the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, he said a section of the media had predicted that Modi would not get a clear majority in the polls, but the BJP successfully gave a call to bag 50 per cent of the vote share. Both Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath talked about the "gruelling" campaign Modi undertook in the run-up to the general election.