Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his parliamentary constituency and offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Monday, four days after he steered the BJP to power in New Delhi with a resounding victory of 303 seats in the Lok Sabha.

'Chemistry defeated arithmetic in 2019 LS polls': PM Modi

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts.

Of all the flagship programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, one that seems to have carried the day is the Swachh Bharat mission. Its impact on the hundreds of millions of Indians, especially women, deprived of basic sanitation facilities, can scarcely be underestimated.&nbsp;

An important part of the Modi persona has been the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, among others. But in terms of impact on the common voter, the Swachh Bharat mission should be considered the high water mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Swachh Bharat or cleanliness programme, a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas, can be safely assumed to have impacted BJP’s electoral prospects, ahead of any other public welfare programme launched by the Modi government. Sure, one factor is never enough to tilt the balance in a party’s favour, yet certain facts are worthy of consideration.&nbsp;

On October 2, 2014, Modi launched the nation-wide cleanliness campaign on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The concept of Swachh Bharat is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and safe and adequate drinking water supply. Modi’s pledges to keep the environment clean were met with sniggers from a class of people, who had never faced sanitation issues in their lives. But they, as luck would have it, were not the archetypal Indian voter. &nbsp;

To the professional historian, the prospects of Modi, a former RSS pracharak, invoking Gandhi would be anathema, but the prime minister went ahead nonetheless. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s memorable words, “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of his agitational politics.&nbsp;

In his newspaper Navajivan (November 2, 1919), Gandhi famously wrote: “In some countries spitting on the road is a criminal offence. Those who spit after chewing betel leaves and tobacco have no consideration for the feelings of others. Spittle, mucus from the nose, etc, should also be covered with earth.”&nbsp;

At the official launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, Modi — who has a way with words — called it ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagrah’ in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran agitation in favour of indigo farmers. &nbsp;The mission had two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the ministry of drinking water and sanitation and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which works under the aegis of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. According to the latest data, the government has constructed 86 million toilets since 2014 under the mission, reducing the number of open defecations from 550 million to fewer than 150 million in 2018. &nbsp;

In 2017, the government cited a UNICEF Survey carried out in 10,000 households across the country to claim that the Swachh Bharat Mission was meeting its targets, three years after its launch. The survey, conducted across 12 states, stated that 85 per cent members of the households studied were using toilets.

While government data should rightly be regarded with scepticism, in political terms, an idea had been thrown open in the public domain, coming from the highest office in the country. Somewhere the worm had turned, despite the Congress branding it as a mediocre idea, when it was first announced. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Now, from the benefit of hindsight, one can say that the Prime Minister knew all along what he was doing. As early as March last year, obviously with an eye on the on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi urged chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to expedite implementation of welfare schemes and to take his government’s flagship programmes to the masses.

At this crucial meeting, work done by different states were discussed and deliberations were held on coordination between the Centre and the states for effective implementation of the government’s flagship schemes, in particular, the health insurance scheme. Even though the health scheme, promoted as NaMo Care, has not made as many waves as the party expected, it’s implementation in Modi’s second term, could be a potential winner. &nbsp;

The importance of social welfare programmes seem to have been driven home, even if it was not so evident during the course of political discourse in a virulent campaign. Chief ministers present at this meeting were asked to submit a report on the implementation of the welfare schemes. The support that Modi has got from the country’s 48 per cent women voters makes a good study for researchers. His ambitious social welfare scheme —Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana —with the aim of providing 5 crore LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country, took a heavy toll on the opposition campaign. It seemed a strategic decision to reach out to women in a scheme aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels, used mostly in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG gas.&nbsp;

Election results, particularly in UP where the Prime Minister was able to develop a connection with women at large, seem to reflect in the UP Lok Sabha results.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-flagship-programme-wonders-2753695">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts.

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts. Of all the flagship programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, one that seems to have carried the day is the Swachh Bharat mission. Its impact on the hundreds of millions of Indians, especially women, deprived of basic sanitation facilities, can scarcely be underestimated. An important part of the Modi persona has been the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, among others. But in terms of impact on the common voter, the Swachh Bharat mission should be considered the high water mark. The Swachh Bharat or cleanliness programme, a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas, can be safely assumed to have impacted BJP’s electoral prospects, ahead of any other public welfare programme launched by the Modi government. Sure, one factor is never enough to tilt the balance in a party’s favour, yet certain facts are worthy of consideration. On October 2, 2014, Modi launched the nation-wide cleanliness campaign on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The concept of Swachh Bharat is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and safe and adequate drinking water supply. Modi’s pledges to keep the environment clean were met with sniggers from a class of people, who had never faced sanitation issues in their lives. But they, as luck would have it, were not the archetypal Indian voter. To the professional historian, the prospects of Modi, a former RSS pracharak, invoking Gandhi would be anathema, but the prime minister went ahead nonetheless. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s memorable words, “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of his agitational politics. In his newspaper Navajivan (November 2, 1919), Gandhi famously wrote: “In some countries spitting on the road is a criminal offence. Those who spit after chewing betel leaves and tobacco have no consideration for the feelings of others. Spittle, mucus from the nose, etc, should also be covered with earth.” At the official launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, Modi — who has a way with words — called it ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagrah’ in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran agitation in favour of indigo farmers. The mission had two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the ministry of drinking water and sanitation and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which works under the aegis of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. According to the latest data, the government has constructed 86 million toilets since 2014 under the mission, reducing the number of open defecations from 550 million to fewer than 150 million in 2018. In 2017, the government cited a UNICEF Survey carried out in 10,000 households across the country to claim that the Swachh Bharat Mission was meeting its targets, three years after its launch. The survey, conducted across 12 states, stated that 85 per cent members of the households studied were using toilets. While government data should rightly be regarded with scepticism, in political terms, an idea had been thrown open in the public domain, coming from the highest office in the country. Somewhere the worm had turned, despite the Congress branding it as a mediocre idea, when it was first announced. Now, from the benefit of hindsight, one can say that the Prime Minister knew all along what he was doing. As early as March last year, obviously with an eye on the on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi urged chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to expedite implementation of welfare schemes and to take his government’s flagship programmes to the masses. At this crucial meeting, work done by different states were discussed and deliberations were held on coordination between the Centre and the states for effective implementation of the government’s flagship schemes, in particular, the health insurance scheme. Even though the health scheme, promoted as NaMo Care, has not made as many waves as the party expected, it’s implementation in Modi’s second term, could be a potential winner. The importance of social welfare programmes seem to have been driven home, even if it was not so evident during the course of political discourse in a virulent campaign. Chief ministers present at this meeting were asked to submit a report on the implementation of the welfare schemes. The support that Modi has got from the country’s 48 per cent women voters makes a good study for researchers. His ambitious social welfare scheme —Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana —with the aim of providing 5 crore LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country, took a heavy toll on the opposition campaign. It seemed a strategic decision to reach out to women in a scheme aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels, used mostly in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG gas. Election results, particularly in UP where the Prime Minister was able to develop a connection with women at large, seem to reflect in the UP Lok Sabha results. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Swachh Bharat campaign had a major role to play in BJP’s spectacular poll success

In this segment watch complete video of today's NDA Leaders Parliamentary meet. Watch this video for complete details.

Watch today's Parliamentary Meeting of NDA Leaders

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-2019-pm-modi-amit-shah-visits-lk-advani-and-murli-manohar-joshi-after-landslide-victory-221202">Veteran BJP leader L K Advani</a> Saturday expressed his happiness over BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections and termed it as "historic".

Advani, who attended the NDA meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP-led alliance, said all those who participated in the elections are "delighted" by the results.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament building, he said, "I am very happy this is a historic mandate. Everyone (from NDA) who came here participated in this election is really happy."

On Friday, both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had visited Advani's house to seek his blessings after the party's massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. Modi had touched Advani's feet.

The Modi-led BJP won 303 seats out of 542 in general elections.&nbsp;

Advani had not contested general elections this time after he was not given ticket on the grounds of age limit of 75 years.

The veteran BJP leader, in a statement on Thursday, congratulated Modi for steering the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards an "unprecedented victory" in the elections.&nbsp;

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani Saturday expressed his happiness over BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections and termed it as "historic". Advani, who attended the NDA meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP-led alliance, said all those who participated in the elections are "delighted" by the results.

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani Saturday expressed his happiness over BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections and termed it as "historic". Advani, who attended the NDA meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP-led alliance, said all those who participated in the elections are "delighted" by the results. Talking to reporters outside Parliament building, he said, "I am very happy this is a historic mandate. Everyone (from NDA) who came here participated in this election is really happy." On Friday, both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had visited Advani's house to seek his blessings after the party's massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. Modi had touched Advani's feet. The Modi-led BJP won 303 seats out of 542 in general elections. Advani had not contested general elections this time after he was not given ticket on the grounds of age limit of 75 years. The veteran BJP leader, in a statement on Thursday, congratulated Modi for steering the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards an "unprecedented victory" in the elections.

NDA's victory is historic: LK Advani

PM Modi has met his mother in Gandhi Nagar and took blessings from her. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi meets his mother in Gandhi Nagar

PM modi addresses gathering at Ahmedabad today. Watch this video to know more.

Pm Modi Addresses Gathering At Ahmedabad Today

The BJP-led NDA unanimously elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its leader during the board meeting held at Central Hall in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon. Watch full video to know more.

NDA unanimously chooses Modi as Prime Minister

BJP President Amit Shah accompanies Modi in Ahmedabad. Watch this video to know more.

BJP President Amit Shah accompanies Modi in Ahmedabad

Grand Welcome for Modi in Ahmedabad After Roadshow. Watch this video to know more.

Grand Welcome for Modi in Ahmedabad After Roadshow

Modi's first massive roadshow underway in Ahmedabad after victory. Watch this video to know more.

Modi's massive roadshow underway in Ahmedabad

PM Elect Modi has reached Ahmedabad, He is going to seek mother's blessing soon. Watch this video to know more.

PM Elect Modi reaches Ahmedabad, to seek mother's blessings soon

Smriti Irani's close aide Surendra Singh shot dead in Amethi. Watch this video to know more.

Smriti Irani's aide Surendra Singh shot dead in Amethi

YSR Congress Party chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaganmohan-to-meet-modi-tomorrow-likely-discuss-outside-or-issue-based-support-to-modi-govt-221555">Jaganmohan Reddy</a> arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting. He also met BJP president Amit Shah.&nbsp;

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate discussed the issues of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the state's financial situation.

Reddy also sought central funds during the meeting with PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, PTI reported.

Reddy is expected to interact with officials at Andhra Bhawan later in the day.

On Saturday, he was unanimously elected as the leader of YSRC legislature party.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. <a href="https://t.co/ip3nQilyyU">pic.twitter.com/ip3nQilyyU</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1132508483226439680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Time and again, Reddy had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status.

Reddy's YSRCP registered a mammoth victory in state Assembly elections, ousting TDP supremo out of power in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

The YSRCP bagged 151 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats and 22 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats. Reddy is likely to take oath as the CM on May 30.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-votes-jagan-reddy-trumps-chandrababu-naidu-221165/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, congratulated Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.

"Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi tweeted.

YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting.

YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting. He also met BJP president Amit Shah. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate discussed the issues of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the state's financial situation. Reddy also sought central funds during the meeting with PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, PTI reported. Reddy is expected to interact with officials at Andhra Bhawan later in the day. On Saturday, he was unanimously elected as the leader of YSRC legislature party. #WATCH: YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. pic.twitter.com/ip3nQilyyU — ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2019 × Time and again, Reddy had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status. Reddy's YSRCP registered a mammoth victory in state Assembly elections, ousting TDP supremo out of power in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRCP bagged 151 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats and 22 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats. Reddy is likely to take oath as the CM on May 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, congratulated Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls. "Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi tweeted.

YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy meets PM Narendra Modi, discusses special status to Andhra

Watch 'India Election Watch.' This is the show that brings you the latest on world's biggest electoral exercise, Verified updates & Unbiased analysis.

India Election Watch; 24th May, 2019

It would seem that watephors, especially billowy ones, dominate election predictions and analyses in India. But this time no one got it right. Not a single person, commentator, columnist, psephologist, soothsayer, or gossipy socialite even once predicted that there would be a staggering tsunami in favour of the Narendra Modi-led BJP. The usual comment, uttered with unshakeable confidence, was that 2019 was unlike 2014 for one simple reason. There was no NaMo wave. Nobody contested this hydrous assumption.

As we progressed through the campaign season, even completing the first couple of phases of the actual voting, this overwhelmingly accepted trope did get a wee watered down. Ah! the wise wags said, almost in a hushed whisper, sometimes cocking an eye or shaking a finger conspiratorially, "There is no wave, but perhaps there is an undercurrent."&nbsp;I myself, I must confess, was rather taken by the seductive appeal of this breaker. It was as if unbeknownst to the vast armies of Indian electoral observers, there was a definite shift in the leitmotif. This notion or should I say the tension between no-wave and undeniable undercurrent afforded some intellectual refreshment if not libation.

Soon, to continue with our aqueous discernments, the undercurrent actually turned into a groundswell. When did this happen? By most counts, the Balakot surgical strikes did it. Our jets swooped deep into Pakistani territory, crossing not just the current LoC, but the international border. Some cynics immediately dismissed this as another war-mongering political stunt. But, when our fighter pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was taken captive, the whole nation not only turned serious, but furious. His return, calmly walking across from Pakistan to Hindustan, was the most riveting and watched event on live TV. Modi was hailed not only as a decisive Prime Minister, but also an effective commander-in-chief. In his hands, the safety, security, and self-respect of India would be intact.

Yet, no Modi wave.&nbsp;

Instead, all of us calculated the losses in UP and where they would be made-up. No one knew that the “Mahagathbandhan” would flop, getting a measly 15 out of 80 seats. Or that the shortfall for the BJP would only be 9 seats, down from 71 in 2014, to 62 in 2019. No one had noticed the hard work of UP’s much maligned-by-the-LeftLiberals Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, who addressed 137 rallies, 28 in his own home turf of Gorakhpur. It was here, we might remember, that the "gathbandhan"&nbsp;model of defeating the BJP had been hatched in the by-elections.&nbsp;

Then we saw the daily reports of violence in West Bengal, which was the arena of BJP’s impressive eastward push. Only Mamata, it would seem, stood between Modi and the saffron march all the way from Delhi to Arunachal Pradesh. There were pitched battles in Kolkata, the original homeland of Hindu, where stalwart after stalwart of India’s renaissance had emerged. Rammohan Roy, Sri Ramakrishna, Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar (he whose bust was destroyed), Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Syama Prasad Mukherji — to name only a few. It was only when Amit Shah pulled off a spectacular roadshow near College Street that the rest of India realised what was really going on.

But, not one person said that whatever was going on was now tantamount to a genuine Modi wave. Rather, the phrase used was somewhat more earthy than soggy—BJP was making inroads in Bengal.

In the meanwhile, the elections themselves, all seven phases of them, were over. Polling had taken place in fairly high numbers in all parts of the country, despite the heat and dust. This was the largest election in human history, and it had been completed without too many unsavoury or untoward events. Even the violence, regrettable as it was, was infrequent and exceptional. Now, came the exit polls and so much loose-talk about EVM tampering and EC-favouritism.&nbsp;

But still no Modi wave.

It was only with the tabulation of the results, with the BJP improving its tally from 282 in 2014 to 303 in 2019 and the NDA matching its previous record by notching up 353 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha that, almost overnight, we have finally admitted to a NaMo wave this time around too. But, hey, now it’s no longer a wave; it’s a TsuNaMo. All of us were caught sleeping. No amount of catch-up or I-told-you-so can cover-up our metaphorical miscalculation.&nbsp;

Well, what if we did not predict let alone ride this wave? In an act of figurative damage-control if not penitence, we may as well enjoy being swept off our feet as it surges across and inundates the entire length and breadth of the country.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-tsunamo-how-modi-surge-swept-aside-all-predictions-2753407">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

It would seem that watephors, especially billowy ones, dominate election predictions and analyses in India. But this time no one got it right. Not a single person, commentator, columnist, psephologist, soothsayer, or gossipy socialite even once predicted that there would be a staggering tsunami in favour of the Narendra Modi-led BJP.

It would seem that watephors, especially billowy ones, dominate election predictions and analyses in India. But this time no one got it right. Not a single person, commentator, columnist, psephologist, soothsayer, or gossipy socialite even once predicted that there would be a staggering tsunami in favour of the Narendra Modi-led BJP. The usual comment, uttered with unshakeable confidence, was that 2019 was unlike 2014 for one simple reason. There was no NaMo wave. Nobody contested this hydrous assumption. As we progressed through the campaign season, even completing the first couple of phases of the actual voting, this overwhelmingly accepted trope did get a wee watered down. Ah! the wise wags said, almost in a hushed whisper, sometimes cocking an eye or shaking a finger conspiratorially, "There is no wave, but perhaps there is an undercurrent." I myself, I must confess, was rather taken by the seductive appeal of this breaker. It was as if unbeknownst to the vast armies of Indian electoral observers, there was a definite shift in the leitmotif. This notion or should I say the tension between no-wave and undeniable undercurrent afforded some intellectual refreshment if not libation. Soon, to continue with our aqueous discernments, the undercurrent actually turned into a groundswell. When did this happen? By most counts, the Balakot surgical strikes did it. Our jets swooped deep into Pakistani territory, crossing not just the current LoC, but the international border. Some cynics immediately dismissed this as another war-mongering political stunt. But, when our fighter pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was taken captive, the whole nation not only turned serious, but furious. His return, calmly walking across from Pakistan to Hindustan, was the most riveting and watched event on live TV. Modi was hailed not only as a decisive Prime Minister, but also an effective commander-in-chief. In his hands, the safety, security, and self-respect of India would be intact. Yet, no Modi wave. Instead, all of us calculated the losses in UP and where they would be made-up. No one knew that the “Mahagathbandhan” would flop, getting a measly 15 out of 80 seats. Or that the shortfall for the BJP would only be 9 seats, down from 71 in 2014, to 62 in 2019. No one had noticed the hard work of UP’s much maligned-by-the-LeftLiberals Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, who addressed 137 rallies, 28 in his own home turf of Gorakhpur. It was here, we might remember, that the "gathbandhan" model of defeating the BJP had been hatched in the by-elections. Then we saw the daily reports of violence in West Bengal, which was the arena of BJP’s impressive eastward push. Only Mamata, it would seem, stood between Modi and the saffron march all the way from Delhi to Arunachal Pradesh. There were pitched battles in Kolkata, the original homeland of Hindu, where stalwart after stalwart of India’s renaissance had emerged. Rammohan Roy, Sri Ramakrishna, Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar (he whose bust was destroyed), Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Syama Prasad Mukherji — to name only a few. It was only when Amit Shah pulled off a spectacular roadshow near College Street that the rest of India realised what was really going on. But, not one person said that whatever was going on was now tantamount to a genuine Modi wave. Rather, the phrase used was somewhat more earthy than soggy—BJP was making inroads in Bengal. In the meanwhile, the elections themselves, all seven phases of them, were over. Polling had taken place in fairly high numbers in all parts of the country, despite the heat and dust. This was the largest election in human history, and it had been completed without too many unsavoury or untoward events. Even the violence, regrettable as it was, was infrequent and exceptional. Now, came the exit polls and so much loose-talk about EVM tampering and EC-favouritism. But still no Modi wave. It was only with the tabulation of the results, with the BJP improving its tally from 282 in 2014 to 303 in 2019 and the NDA matching its previous record by notching up 353 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha that, almost overnight, we have finally admitted to a NaMo wave this time around too. But, hey, now it’s no longer a wave; it’s a TsuNaMo. All of us were caught sleeping. No amount of catch-up or I-told-you-so can cover-up our metaphorical miscalculation. Well, what if we did not predict let alone ride this wave? In an act of figurative damage-control if not penitence, we may as well enjoy being swept off our feet as it surges across and inundates the entire length and breadth of the country. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

How Narendra Modi surge swept aside all predictions

The Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 that were announced on Thursday evening declared the BJP-led NDA as the winner. As per Election Commission, BJP won 303 seats out of 542, witnessing a landslide win. Congress was contained at 52 seats.

IEW: Historical mandate for BJP; Sweeps away whole opposition

The Rajya Sabha has 245 MPs, of which 241 are elected and four are nominated. At present, the BJP and its allies have 102 members in the Rajya Sabha20 seats short of a simple majority. How will the BJP get these additional 20 seats?

IEW: BJP eyes majority in Rajya Sabha

Elections in India has been summed up now, PM Modi led BJP+ gets massive mandate and surely done a serious damage to opposition. People choose 'chowkidaar' over 'Naamdaar' again for the next 5 years.

IEW: PM Modi 2.0; what to expect?

Narendra Modi relected as India's PM with a heavy mandate. The stats are very huge and sweeps away each and every opposition party in India. Looks like today India shows that they had choose development over the 'Dynasty' rule.

IEW: What's next for PM Modi?

In this segment WION exclusively speaks to Mr. Sumanth C. Raman, Senior Journalist from Chennai over PM Narendra Modi's claim to stake new govt. Watch this video for complete details.

WION Exclusive: In Conversation with Mr. Sumanth C. Raman, Senior Journalist from Chennai

Watch how NDA also gives letter of support to President Kovind to form govt. Watch this video for the complete details.

NDA gives letter of support to President Kovind to form govt

PM Modi speaks after meeting President Ram Nath Kovind. Watch this video to listen to his words.

PM Modi speaks after meeting President Ram Nath Kovind

PM Modi speaks at Parliament today. He thanked India citizens for making him, BJP & NDA win. He also said, ''We will transform India together.''

PM Modi at Parliament: We will transform India together

Watch how PM Modi meets President Ram Nath Kovind to stake claim to form a new govt. Watch this video for complete details.

PM Modi meets President Kovind to stake claim to form govt

In this segment, Discusses about today's Parliamentary Meet of NDA with some expert. Watch this video to know more.

Discusses about today's Parliamentary Meet of NDA with some expert

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said the 2019 elections "united people" and gave a "positive mandate".

While speaking at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/nda-lawmakers-meet-in-delhi-to-formally-elect-narendra-modi-as-prime-minister-221557">parliamentary meeting</a>, PM Modi said, "Elections divide and create gulf but 2019 polls united people and society. There was a pro-incumbency wave in this election, its result was a positive mandate".

"These elections were pro-incumbency. This pro-incumbency wave is tied with the thread of trust...The trust was not only between people and govt but also among people themselves. This gave birth to that trust,"&nbsp;he said.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-stakes-claim-to-form-the-government-swearing-in-likely-on-may-30-221611">prime minister</a>&nbsp;was addressing the&nbsp;newly-elected members of Parliament belonging to BJP and other allies in the NDA in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Watch- PM Modi at Parliament: We will transform India together

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Stating that there was no better path than serving people while in power, PM Modi said his first government worked for the poor people who in 2019 re-elected his party.

He also reached out to minorities saying there will be no discrimination against anyone on the basis of caste, sect and religion and gave a new slogan of "trust towards all".

Modi said political parties in the past played deceit on minorities who were used for vote bank politics.

"They were kept in illusion, climate of fear and insecurity. They were misled by deceit. It would have been better if they were given education so that some good leaders emerged from the community, which could have become equal to other sections. But for the sake of vote bank politics, they were kept away from everything."

"Today I appeal to all that we have to break that deceit on minorities. We have to gain their trust. We have to move shoulder to shoulder without discriminating on the basis of caste, sect and religion. We are for 130 crore people. These should be our priorities and responsibility. 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas aur ab Sabka Vishwas (Everyone`s support, everyone`s development and now everyone`s trust). This is our mantra. I will leave no stone unturned and I will work for all citizens of India," he said.

Speaking to the NDA MPs, he said, "You all have elected me as the leader, I think of it as a part of the system, I'm one of you, equal to you"

"We are for those who trusted us and also for those whose trust we have to win over".

He further claimed that some statements made for publicity often trouble them and asked the NDA leaders to restrict themselves in speaking to media.

He also asked the leaders to shun VIP culture and asked them to &nbsp;stand in queues wherever required, like other citizens.&nbsp;

"Don't trust media reports on names being considered for ministerial berths, responsibilities will be given as per norms.

"Minorities made to live in fear by those who believed in vote-bank politics, we have to end this deception and take everyone along," Modi said.

The parliamentary board of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/focus-is-now-on-the-next-five-years-team-will-deliver-better-pm-modi-221500">BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)</a>&nbsp;unanimously elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi as leader of NDA coalition&nbsp;at a meeting in Parliament's Central Hall in New Delhi&nbsp;on Saturday.

Amit shah proposed Narendra Modi's&nbsp;name as the leader of BJP Parliamentary Party while Rajnath singh and Nitin Gadkari seconded the proposal which was endorsed by all BJP MPs.&nbsp;

Top alliance leaders, including JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal, extended their party's support after Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP parliamentary party at first.

Modi's election was a mere formality as the NDA had already declared him the alliance's prime ministerial candidate.

(With inputs from agencies)

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said the 2019 elections "united people" and gave a "positive mandate". While speaking at the parliamentary meeting, PM Modi said, "Elections divide and create gulf but 2019 polls united people and society.

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said the 2019 elections "united people" and gave a "positive mandate". While speaking at the parliamentary meeting, PM Modi said, "Elections divide and create gulf but 2019 polls united people and society. There was a pro-incumbency wave in this election, its result was a positive mandate". "These elections were pro-incumbency. This pro-incumbency wave is tied with the thread of trust...The trust was not only between people and govt but also among people themselves. This gave birth to that trust," he said. The prime minister was addressing the newly-elected members of Parliament belonging to BJP and other allies in the NDA in the Central Hall of Parliament. Watch- PM Modi at Parliament: We will transform India together × Stating that there was no better path than serving people while in power, PM Modi said his first government worked for the poor people who in 2019 re-elected his party. He also reached out to minorities saying there will be no discrimination against anyone on the basis of caste, sect and religion and gave a new slogan of "trust towards all". Modi said political parties in the past played deceit on minorities who were used for vote bank politics. "They were kept in illusion, climate of fear and insecurity. They were misled by deceit. It would have been better if they were given education so that some good leaders emerged from the community, which could have become equal to other sections. But for the sake of vote bank politics, they were kept away from everything." "Today I appeal to all that we have to break that deceit on minorities. We have to gain their trust. We have to move shoulder to shoulder without discriminating on the basis of caste, sect and religion. We are for 130 crore people. These should be our priorities and responsibility. 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas aur ab Sabka Vishwas (Everyone`s support, everyone`s development and now everyone`s trust). This is our mantra. I will leave no stone unturned and I will work for all citizens of India," he said. Speaking to the NDA MPs, he said, "You all have elected me as the leader, I think of it as a part of the system, I'm one of you, equal to you" "We are for those who trusted us and also for those whose trust we have to win over". He further claimed that some statements made for publicity often trouble them and asked the NDA leaders to restrict themselves in speaking to media. He also asked the leaders to shun VIP culture and asked them to stand in queues wherever required, like other citizens. "Don't trust media reports on names being considered for ministerial berths, responsibilities will be given as per norms. "Minorities made to live in fear by those who believed in vote-bank politics, we have to end this deception and take everyone along," Modi said. The parliamentary board of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi as leader of NDA coalition at a meeting in Parliament's Central Hall in New Delhi on Saturday. Amit shah proposed Narendra Modi's name as the leader of BJP Parliamentary Party while Rajnath singh and Nitin Gadkari seconded the proposal which was endorsed by all BJP MPs. Top alliance leaders, including JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal, extended their party's support after Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP parliamentary party at first. Modi's election was a mere formality as the NDA had already declared him the alliance's prime ministerial candidate. (With inputs from agencies)

2019 elections 'united people' and gave 'positive mandate': PM Modi at parliamentary meet

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