FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The BJP’s stunning victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election with a three-fourths majority in a caste-obsessed state with strong regional leaders has baffled political pundits. From 47 seats in 2012 to 312 in 2017 is a phenomenal feat. It has debunked the conventional wisdom that people vote differently in state elections and the general election. The BJP vote share in UP this time was an impressive 39.7 per cent— though still less than 42.6 per cent when the party swept 71 of the total 80 seats in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. It also destroyed my pet theory that in state elections, people want to know who will govern them, and where there are strong regional leaders, the party that does not declare its chief ministerial candidate has a handicap. As is his wont, Narendra Damodardas Modi continues to surprise us. His political antenna is so sharp that he senses what others don’t.
He’s called the victory in UP a mandate for a new India. An India which inspires the young to dream, recognises the aspirations of women, provides opportunities to the poor and feels proud of the country. An India which rises above caste and creed to elect someone they believe can deliver a better life. The promise of achhe din was the reason Narendra Modi rode to power in 2014. The good days may not have come as many expected, but the UP verdict shows that the people of India’s most populous state still have remarkable faith in him to deliver. Undoubtedly, Modi is a far more evolved leader in the mid-term of his tenure than when he got elected in 2014. His image has transformed from a globetrotting, business-friendly head of a
‘suit boot ki sarkar’ to a pro-poor messiah willing to inflict pain on the rich through a daring demonetisation, and constantly working on schemes to benefit the common man, whether it is the #GiveItUp campaign for the return of LPG subsidies or the doubling of Jan Dhan accounts. The prime minister is seen as an honest, hardworking, bold and decisive leader working in the service of the nation without the baggage of family or legacy.
Besides the overpowering image of Prime Minister Modi and the right messaging, the phenomenal victory in UP is also a tribute to the organisational skills of BJP president Amit Shah. Deputy Editor Uday Mahurkar, who has been tracking Modi and Shah since their days in Gujarat, gives us the inside story of how UP was won. It took the skilful setting up of 140,000 booth committees all over the state with dedicated party workers handling them—a system developed by Modi in Gujarat in the mid-1990s. Second- and third-rung leaders were assigned rallies all over the state to empower local leadership, so as to not repeat what happened in Bihar where they were sidelined. Also, to emphasise the difference from the Congress with its entitled second generationdominated leadership and its absence of grassroots organisation. A rainbow coalition of non-Yadav OBCs and marginalised backward castes was stitched up to prevent alienation, a move also reflected in the choice of Keshav Prasad Maurya as state president of the party.
The win in UP has a much larger significance. It is now generally believed that barring some unforeseen circumstances, a win for Modi is assured in 2019. This means a stable government for the next seven years. The markets reacted accordingly and foreign investors will feel encouraged to invest in India. True to type, Modi looks even beyond. In his victory speech at the BJP headquarters, he said: “I don’t live by electoral calculations. My target is 2022, not 2019. 2022 will mark 75 years of India’s Independence. We have five years to contribute to change India.” He also laid out the direction he’s going to follow. Empower the poor with opportunity and India will rise. As part of our special post-election package, Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa looks ahead and examines how Modi will realise his ambitious plan. The nation’s dreams ride on his vision and its execution. One can only hope he succeeds. It won’t be for lack of trying.