NEW DELHI: It has often been said that the election won in Uttar Pradesh paves the way to power at the Centre.
PM Narendra Modi reiterated that on Thursday, by saying that the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls has already been sealed following BJP’s win in UP.
“I would like to say that after the 2019 election results, some political pundits had said that 2017 results had decided the results of 2019. I believe this time also, they will say that the results of 2022 have decided the results of 2024,” Modi said, adding that parties surviving on the roots of dynastic politics will get wiped out.
Thanking women and youth for BJP’s victory in UP and three other states, Modi described it as ‘jeet ka chauka (the winning four)’.
He said they solidly supported BJP in UP and the other states. Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters, he said the results have put a seal of approval on BJP’s pro-poor governance.
The PM took a dig, albeit obliquely, at Congress and SP, saying that the sunset of dynastic politics is in sight. He said that he has nothing against any family, but he is concerned for democracy.
“Voters have shown what is bound to happen to dynasty politics.”
He also said that certain people (read parties) were trying to halt probes by independent investigative agencies into corruption cases by questioning the agencies’ impartiality.
Terming such attempts unfortunate, Modi said persons involved in corruption and surrounded by scams have come together and putting pressure on the agencies.
“These people keep finding new ways. They don’t even trust the judiciary. If an investigation is initiated, they start putting pressure on agencies.”
Continuing his attack on opposition parties, Modi said citizens worked hard in every possible way during the Covid-19 pandemic, but certain elements kept questioning everything, including the vaccination drive. “When the entire world lauded India’s efforts on vaccination, some people raise doubts. It is also unfortunate that even when thousands of Indian students were evacuated from war-hit Ukraine, there were attempts to disregard that.”
Expressing gratitude to voters, the PM said he will not stop until he makes sure that the benefits of government schemes reach everyone.
Lashing out at previous non-BJP governments, he said a lot of announcements were made in the name of providing benefits to the poor, but nothing was done.
“We have brought in good goernnace and improved the delivery system with transparency.”
He also said UP had given many PMs to the country, but it was the first time that a sitting CM won the election.
“In UP, after 37 years, a government has returned to power.”
He said this has happened because BJP worked on development rather than doing caste-based politics.
He also said that the war in Ukraine has become a matter of concern for the entire world and India advocates that the problem should be solved through deliberations and dialogues.