Narendra Modi thanks voters in Varanasi
27 May 2019
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Ahead of his 30 May swearing in as head of government for a second term, Narendra Modi visited Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and addressed party karyakartas to thank them and the voters for "reposing" faith in him and the party.
Addressing BJP workers after offering prayers at the Kashi Temple, Modi, told BJP workers that he was lucky to be contesting from Varanasi, suggesting that from campaigning to ensuring a BJP victory in the constituency everything was handled by the workers.
Modi, who was flanked by party chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, said: "All of you had ordered me 'you can't set foot in Varanasi for a month'. The nation might have elected me as the prime minister but for you, I am a worker. For me, your orders were the priority."
He said the trust of the people of Kashi and the hard work of the party workers gave him enough confidence during voting and therefore he could "peacefully" go to Kedarnath to meditate. No other candidate was as relieved as him, he added.
In the end the 2019 election was not all poll arithmetic, it was more of a chemistry with the voters of Varanisi, he said, adding that every household that voted in these elections is a Narendra Modi.
"Elections are all about arithmetic but there is chemistry that goes beyond arithmetic. This time chemistry has defeated arithmetic. Some people say that politics is all about perception but we do not create perceptions. For us, transparency and hard work scores above everything else," he said.
"After three elections in Uttar Pradesh (2014, 2017 and 2019), if political pundits are unable to see the social, political and electoral messaging that the voters are indicating, then they are suited for the last century, not the 21st Century," Modi said.
"The polls in 2014, 2017 and 2019 mark a hat-trick of wins in Uttar Pradesh. Each of these wins is special and should be studied very carefully by political analysts. Uttar Pradesh is further strengthening the country's democratic fabric. The perception around us (BJP) has been vicious, sometimes even telling everyone that we are dangerous and we should be stayed from but India has shown that to political pundits and therefore there is no alternate of transparency and hard work for us."
Modi said there are many in politics whose profile runs into 50 pages or more but they are not connected with the poorest of the poor. "We are dedicated to such people," he said.
"Work and workers create wonders," Modi said, giving full credit for his victory to the workers at the grassroots level for creating awareness about his government's policies and programmes for the people. Uttar Pradesh is showing the way for India, he said.
He also spoke of the importance of "perfect synergy" between the government and the party. Modi won from Varanasi by a huge margin of 4.79 lakh votes. He not only retained his seat but also saw his victory margin increase by nearly a lakh votes as compared to 2014.
He lamented the sense of “political untouchability” against the saffron party, adding that the BJP workers were being killed for their ideology in West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala.
Modi noted that the legacy of Indian culture cannot be ignored, although some opposition parties believe that goes against their interests. "Many are embarrassed about it, but I am not. I am proud of our culture. It cannot just be about the future, the country cannot progress without its past," Modi said.
