India / Women are silent voters of BJP, want to thank them: PM Modi

New Delhi: Setting the stage for the crucial West Bengal elections next year from an event organised to mark the BJP victory in the Bihar assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday in a veiled message to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said those who aren’t able to “fight us democratically have turned to killing BJP workers”. 

On Bihar victory, Modi thanked the women in the state, who he referred to as the “silent” voters, for ensuring the party’s win in the recently concluded elections. He said this large group of silent voters is repeatedly voting for the BJP.

While the NDA won 125 seats, Tejashwi Yadav-led Grand Alliance secured 110 seats in a tightly-contested battle.

“I’m hearing a lot in the media about the ‘silent voter’. Now you can hear their echo. BJP has a bank of such silent voters who are voting for it time after time. These are the women voters of the country. They are our nari shakti (women power). From rural to urban, women have become the largest group of silent voters for us,” PM Modi told a gathering of hundreds of BJP workers, who had assembled at the party headquarters at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg.

Modi also credited good governance by the BJP-JD(U) government in Bihar for the successful electoral outcome. 

The programme, called the ‘Thank You’ event, was organised to thank BJP workers and supporters for the Bihar victory.

At the event, party president J.P. Nadda thanked Modi for his leadership.

A number of women workers had queued up at the party head office to catch a glimpse of Modi, carrying placards that read ‘Bihar mei bahar ba’. 

Celebrations at party office

The celebrations started much before Modi’s arrival at the party office at around 7 pm as BJP workers had started queuing up outside the venue from 1 pm onward. 

The celebration comes amid the Covid-19 pandemic. There were thousands of workers at the BJP office breaking into celebrations by dancing without wearing a mask. The entire building was illuminated, and cutouts of Modi and Nadda were put up across the premises. 

Due to security reasons, entry into the building was allowed until 5 pm and many who came after, sat on the footpath outside to listen to Modi. People outside the BJP office carried party flags, chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ and ‘PM Modi ki jai’. 

The celebrations went on for hours with people taking selfies with Modi cutouts. Many women even danced as they chanted ‘Narendra Modi zindabad’. 

“Not only five years, we want Modi ji to remain the prime minister for another 50 years,” said a BJP worker, who had come from Delhi’s Pitampura to participate in the celebrations. 

Many enthusiastic workers had painted their faces saffron and were chanting ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ (It’s possible if Modi is there) as they made a beeline to enter the premises at around 4 pm. 

Patriotic songs like ‘Dil diya hai jaan bhi denge aye watan tere liye’ and ‘Mera rang de basanti chola’ were played amid the celebrations.

Nadda, under whose leadership the BJP clinched the victory in Bihar, made a grand entry in an open jeep while waving to the crowd. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal were also present.

No one can win elections by resorting to killings: Modi

In a veiled attack on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Modi said: “Chunaav aate hain, jaate hain. Jai-paraajay ka khel hota raha hai. Kabhi ye baithega, kabhi vo baithega… Lekin ye maut ka khel loktantra mein kabhi nahin chal sakta hai (Elections will come and go, sometimes one will win and sometimes lose. But this game of deaths can’t go on in democracy. Nobody can win elections like this. Do read the writing on the wall),” said PM Modi. 

Modi also said those who are not able to fight the BJP democratically have now turned to killing BJP workers. “I want to tell them politely… I don’t need to give them a warning because that will be done by the voters,” he added.

Thanking Nadda for the victory, the prime minister also pointed out how he rightfully named the event as a ‘thank you’ event, instead of a ‘victory’ event. 

“From east to west, from north to south, we won. It was an extension of what happened in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. If you are working tirelessly for the development of the country, voters will reward you. They will not be fooled by anything. This is what yesterday’s verdict has clearly shown us,” he said. 

Putting to rest all speculations on who will lead the NDA government in Bihar, Modi said all BJP workers will work under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. 

‘Family-run political parties are holding us back’

The PM said India’s response to Covid-19 has been the best and the Bihar elections is a testimony to that. Modi also urged the BJP workers to follow the mantra of ‘Vocal for Local’. 

Hitting out at the opposition, especially the Congress and the RJD without naming them, the prime minister slammed the family-run parties from “Kashmir to Kanyakumari” and said these parties are a threat to democracy.

“Democracy is our biggest strength, and the people of India today truly values this strength we have. But what is holding us back are the family-run political parties. These parties exist from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Why just state parties, even a major national party has over the decades, reduced itself to a family-run party. It is unfortunate. Family-run parties and dynasty are the biggest threat to democracy,” Modi said as he urged the youth from across the country to join the BJP.

The PM said the BJP promotes talent, unlike other parties. 

“I would like to thank each and every single BJP karyakarta (worker) for the stellar work that you all have done in elections. And of course, the strategy, planning and execution by our BJP president J.P. Nadda ji. Let us all say this slogan… ‘Nadda ji, aap aage badho, hum sab aapke saath hain (Nadda ji, go forward, we are all with you).” 

Modi further said the secret to winning the Bihar poll was ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas (Everyone’s support, development and trust). 

He also added that the BJP won not just in Bihar, but in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and even in Telangana and Ladakh.