NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence as he returned to his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg home for a third consecutive term in office, stating that his fellow citizens have realised that the nation is ready for a massive leap and want their dreams to come true as soon as possible. With victories in last month’s assembly elections in three core states—Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh—the BJP gained significant electoral momentum ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.Prime Minister Modi stated that Indians want “this flight to be expedited” and that they now recognise and accept that their nation is about to take off in an interview with the UK-based daily Financial Times. His statement is being considered in relation to the upcoming general elections of 2024, which are slated to take place in April and May. Using his government’s record of implementing “solid change in the common man’s life,” Prime Minister Modi declared that he was “very confident of victory.”In the interview, Prime Minister Modi stated, “The people of India have very different aspirations today than they had ten years ago. They realise that our nation is on the cusp of a take-off.” They know who is best to make sure this is the one who got them this far, and they want this flight to be expedited.” With Prime Minister Modi at the centre of their campaign, the BJP won resounding mandates in the heartland states of the recent Assembly elections in five states, surprising not only their rivals but also some pollsters who had predicted close races in MP, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan.The BJP won 115 seats in Rajasthan, sweeping aside predictions from the exit polls that the contest would be close. With 69 seats, the Congress finished a distant second. On December 15, Bhajan Lal Sharma, a Sanganer native and first-time MLA, took the oath of office as the chief minister of Rajasthan. Additionally sworn in as the desert state’s deputy chief ministers were Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa.On December 13, Vishnu Sai, the neighbouring Chhattisgarh chief minister, took the oath of office. Sai represented the Raigarh constituency in the Lok Sabha for four consecutive terms, from 1999 to 2014. In Chhattisgarh, out of 90 assembly constituencies, the BJP won 54, while the Congress, the party in power, only managed to win 35. Despite fighting against nearly two decades of anti-incumbency, the BJP won a resounding mandate in Madhya Pradesh, securing 163 seats, while the Congress saw its total fall to 66 seats.On December 13, BJP MLA Mohan Yadav, who was unexpectedly chosen by the party’s upper echelons to be the chief minister, was also sworn in. Rajendra Shukla and Jagdish Devda, two other party leaders, swore in as the state’s deputy chief ministers.
