BJP workers fulfilled early Holi promise, results decided 2024 outcome: PM Modi after big win

Joining the BJP workers in their celebrations at the party headquarters, PM Modi said: "Ahead of the elections, BJP workers promised me that Holi will start from March 10 this year. They have fulfilled their promise."

"I want to congratulate the hard-working BJP workers for winning the confidence of the people," a visible excited Prime Minister said.

He credited the first time voters for paving the way for such a massive win for the party in all four states.

He also credited women, voters, too for the win, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

"UP has given many Prime Ministers to India but this is the first time an incumbent chief minister is returning to power. After 37 years, one party has been able to return to power for the second straight term," PM Modi said, who campaigned heavily in Uttar Pradesh for the Yogi Adityanath government.

He said in Goa, all exit polls have been proven wrong. "People have provided BJP with an opportunity to serve them for the third term," the PM said as his party is all set to retain state with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) pledging support of their MLAs to the saffron brigade.

"In Uttarakhand too, BJP has scripted history as the party has returned to power for a second term for the first time," said the Prime Minister.

"In all these states, the development model is different but the one string that connects all these states is the trust of people in BJP, its intentions and its policies. BJP works on pro-poor and pro-active policies," he announced amid Modi chants.

Attacking the opposition, the PM said: "In the Congress regime, only a few people got all benefits while the poor were deprived. I will not rest before delivering good governance to every poor people and making sure the poor get benefits from all welfare schemes."

He did not spare the political pundits either and slammed them for analysing UP elections based on castes.

"I want to tell the experts to now stop their age-old rantings and look at the UP mandate from a new perspective. They must stop dividing people based on caste. People of UP have taught these experts a lesson that they vote only for development and they showed casteism should only unite the country," said the Prime Minister

"I hope the political experts will now say that the result of 2022 has decided the result for 2024," he announced with a note of wit in his voice.

He also spoke on the Russia-Ukraine war saying that India wants peace.

"The countries fighting the war is directly linked with India's dependence on oil imports. This is a hard time for all developing counties amid such soaring prices of oil. Still, the union budget has provided hope this time with promises of Aatmanirbhar Bharat," said he.

"However, people exuded confidence in the BJP and the same reflects that people of India believe in democracy," he added.

Slamming the opposition, PM Modi said even during this time, the level of politics has degraded so much by some.

"They (oppositions) follow divisive politics and tried to even let down the vaccination policies or Operation Ganga. I am not against any families but I keep development above all. I have only made people aware that how such families had led the states backwards," said the PM.

"Mark my word, a time will come when this country will be saved from dynasty politics and the indication has been given by the people in this election," he added.

Speaking on his government's claim to wipe away corruption, he said: "These people are even trying to protect the corrupt politicians and with the help of their ecosystem, they are exerting pressure on independent organisations and stopping them from probing the corruption."

"Whenever any person is accused of any corruption, the oppositions are labelling them with religion and castes. We won in UP as the people there suffered a lot from this kind of politics. People in UP have understood that they have to stay away from politicians who bad mouth the castes and have voted only for development."

Riding on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created history on Thursday by becoming the first incumbent to return to power in three decades surviving the challenge thrown by the Samajwadi Party (SP), which has improved its performance but failed to match to the saffron camp's might.

Despite facing farmers' protests and massive criticisms over the COVID-19 handling, the BJP stood tall on the result day on Thursday winning 270 seats though its tally nosedived by 52 this time.

The BJP has also scripted a sweeping victory in Manipur and Uttarakhand, which went into polls along with three other states in the last few weeks.