Unrolling saffron hues

The BJP had a historic victory in the Assembly elections on Sunday in the states of Haryana and Maharashtra, with the Modi magic sweeping the majority of the seats and downing the Congress to yet another shameful defeat after the national elections.

The triumph, though not unexpected, was significant for the Modi led government it being the first test after the Lok Sabha elections and due to the fact that the party was contesting the elections for the first time without its oldest ally, Shiv Sena. The Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and the BJP, have all backed each other like strong pillars and the party with the most intensive campaigning have tasted success. With an unexpected but huge backing from the NCP, it has emerged as the single largest party and could now form a government in Maharashtra while the party attained a clear majority on its own in Haryana. BJP won 47 seats in the 90 - member Assembly with a 33.3% vote share in Haryana while in Maharashtra, it grabbed 122 seats in the 288 - member house. The Congress had been dominant in Haryana and Maharashtra for ten and 15 years respectively.

Modi had campaigned extensively in both the states, addressing 27 rallies in Maharashtra and 11 in Haryana. The effort has finally paid off. The success is also seen as the victory of Modi-Amit Shah union, the duo establishing an unquestionable authority over the party. After the storming victory in Haryana and Maharashtra, the party is expected to campaign for a string of Assembly polls in the next few years. As for the Congress, the latest debacle is definitely a blow to their revival attempts pulling the party more into the debris. A lack of efficient leadership to spearhead the party, failure to learn from the past mistakes and make the right decisions are the major problems afflicting the oldest party in India.

Despite the success, the recent setback in Rajasthan and Gujarat indicate warnings for the BJP and was termed as a reality check for the ‘achche din’ promises. It is time the party heads ponder over their run for power and supremacy and goal of transforming India into a Hindu nation.