Wins, Worries, Warnings

A Sixth Consecutive Win, Yes, but a Narrow One. Gujarat Exposes the Chinks in the Bjp’s Electoral Armour Even as the Congress Loses What Could Have Been a Winning Battle. What Next for Modi and Rahul?

- Raj Chengappa

Hours after the BJP’s double victory in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drove to the party headquarters in New Delhi to greet the faithful. Flanked by his senior cabinet and party colleagues, Modi made an impassioned victory speech that had elements of triumphalism, conciliation and an astute reiteration of his commitment to vikas (development). While concluding with his usual exhortation of Bharat Mata ki jai he then, with unusual fervour, urged the crowd to chant along with him, Jeetega Bhai Jeetega, Vikas hi Jeetega (Development will always emerge the winner). In doing so the prime minister was setting the agenda for the even bigger battles ahead that include a handful of vital state polls before his re-election bid in the 2019 general election.

It is Modi’s ability to think way ahead of his opponents even as he savours victory that makes him India’s tallest leader. After the BJP’s decisive win in Uttar Pradesh in March and its forming a government in three of the other four state polls held then, Modi in his victory rally announced that by 2022, when the nation celebrates 75 years of Independence, he would forge a New India that would fulfil the dreams of the country’s young who constitute 65 per cent of India’s population. He outlined a vision for the new generation, indirectly appealing to them for a second term to fulfil it. Now, after the Gujarat victory, Modi was signalling to his party that vikas first and not Hindutva would be his major plank for 2019.