Sir — This refers to the editorial, “BJP’s emphatic victory” (October 20). The Maharashtra and Haryana election results have gone almost the way many exit polls had predicted. Sceptics who had wondered whether the ‘Modi magic’ had waned, must have been disappointed by the way the party has conquered Haryana and is set to form the Government in Maharashtra. Anti-incumbency works only to an extent and a party needs a push to convert the mood into votes. This push was provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma and an aggressive campaign.
Mr Modi’s and Mr Amit Shah’s calculated gamble and innovative skills have paid off handsomely. In Maharashtra, the BJP had been a junior partner to the Shiv Sena, and it required rare foresight to go alone and do far better than double the party’s 2009 performance in a five-cornered contest. The party has shown its prowess by garnering double the seats that the Shiv Sena has won.
In Haryana, from being virtually non-existent to winning handsomely, the party has shown its resilience. The BJP shunned caste politics and focussed on development to come up trumps in the State. The party, thus, is on an unprecedented high, leaving the Congress only a few States to cling on to till the next round of Assembly elections.