In Northeast results, Raje sees ‘good omen’ for state
Rajespeaks
EXUBERANT CM terms defeat in state bypolls ‘a wakeup call at right time’ JAIPUR:
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje Sunday said that BJP’s victory in Tripura and Nagaland was a “good omen” for the party and expressed confidence that the “saffron flag will once again fly high” in Rajasthan in the assembly elections later this year.
Raje was addressing a press conference at state BJP office. However, she took only two questions and ended the conference abruptly saying that she will meet with the media again during ‘Holi Milan’ function. This was Raje’s first press conference in four years. She had not addressed the media even during the Lalit Modi controversy in June 2015, and it was state BJP president Ashok Parnami who had to defend her during media interactions.
The chief minister said that the Congress was now on the backfoot and cited the vote shares in Tripura and Nagaland to drive home her point.
The vote share of the BJP in Tripura has risen from 1.3 per cent to 43 per cent, the chief minister said. Collective vote share of the BJP and its allies had risen to 51 per cent while the vote share of the Congress there shrunk to 1.8 per cent, she added.
“You can say that from sunrise to sunset, all the states are ruled by the BJP,” she said.
Raje attributed the election victory to “organizational strength and developmental politics” besides giving credit to hard work of the workers and able leadership. She was effusive in her praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him the “most popular leader in Independent India.”
“We have demolished the Left citadel. There was a time when Northeast was out of bounds for BJP, but due to able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah we have achieved a historic victory. The victory in Tripura, which is a tribal belt, is a good omen and has demonstrated that the BJP has now touched people from every sphere, be it urban or rural masses,” she said, adding that people of Rajasthan who had settled in the Northeast had also contributed to the victory.
“Our reach has expanded and the historic win has proved that there is no alternative to the BJP in the country,” Raje said.
Replying to a query on the party’s recent defeat in the Rajasthan bypolls, she said that no one should write off Bharatiya Janata Party based on defeat in three seats — two Lok Sabha and one assembly. “It was a wake-up call for us and I would say that it came at a right time,” she said.
She evaded another question on simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state Assembly. “Enjoy. We will meet again for Holi Milan on March 14,” Raje said and ended the conference.
Later, interacting informally with the media she again parried a query on whether state BJP president Ashok Parnami will be nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Rajasthan goes to polls later this year and there were rumours about change at the helm after the rout in bypolls.
There was festive atmosphere at the state BJP office. The party workers welcomed Raje and Parnami with slogans amid fireworks and beating of drums.
There was a time when NE was out of bounds for BJP, but due to able leadership of PM Modi and party president Amit Shah we have achieved a historic victory. You can say that from sunrise to sunset, all the states are ruled by BJP. Our reach has expanded and the win has proved that there is no alternative to the BJP in the country.