North East elections: Can't blame EVMs anymore, says Amit Shah

New Delhi: As the BJP demolished the last bastion of the Left in Tripura, looked comfortable in forming government in Nagaland with allies and performed impressively in Meghalaya, the saffron leadership saw the mandate as a reflection of the party's performance in coming assembly elections in Karnataka and the crucial electoral battle of 2019.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared the coming BJP rule in Tripura with the sunrise, when the horizon is "saffron coloured" and the outgoing CPI(M) government with the sunset when the colour is Red, BJP president Amit Shah asserted that Tripura results have proved that the Left party is "not right" for any part of the country. Both Mr Modi and Mr Shah said the poll results were a tribute to many party cadre who were victim of Left's political violence. Mr Modi also took a dig at the Congress, saying it was never diminished  this low and cautioned the pary workers from catching the "Congress culture."

In Tripura, speculation is rife that party's state unit chief Biplab Deb could be the chief ministers of BJP's first government in this Northeastern state. Mr Shah, sources said, could also visit the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on Sunday to meet its supremo Mohan Bhagwat. RSS's crucial meeting, Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha is also scheduled next week.

Hailing Modi government's 'Act East' policy and the hardwork of the party cadre for BJP's performance in the three states whose polling results were declared on Saturday, Mr Shah predicted that the BJP will wrest power from the Congress in Karnataka and asserted that for all those who used to claim that the BJP is not pan-India, the party has finally become an "Akhil Bhartiya." 

Mr Shah also announced that the BJP and its ally now rule 21 states and replied to a question that the party will attain its "golden period" when it forms government in Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha.

Addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters, Mr Modi said the Tripura verdict showed that the the people answered to "fear, lies and confusion" being spread against the central government through ballots and though the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it. Mr Modi also targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now. Hailing Mr Shah as the architect of poll victories, Mr Modi said though the festival of Holi saw many colours yesterday, but today, saffron was the predominant colour. The Prime Minister also paused for a while when the sounds of azaan rang out in the middle of his speech. The crowd chanted "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" when the prayers stopped and the PM resumed his speech.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, Mr Shah dismissed the Left's claim that the BJP had used money power in Tripura polls and said the opposition can no longer blame electronic voting machines due to use of voter-verified paper audit trail system.