Buoyed by the victory in Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said the people have rejected the "opportunistic" and "obstructionist" politics of Congress and have put their stamp on Modi Government's performance.
The party leadership also thanked the people of Assam and credited the victory there and increased vote share in other states to party workers, state leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"BJP's performance in assembly polls is in a way people's stamp on performance of Modi government in the last two years. Poll results show that a strong foundation of BJP has been laid for ensuring victory in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The verdict is a lesson for Congress for its obstructionist politics in Parliament," BJP President Amit Shah said at a press conference in New Delhi.
He congratulated the prime minister, chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sharma and other leaders and workers for the Assam victory and praised the hard work of leaders in states like Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
"The unmatched efforts and sacrifice of our workers in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have established a strong party base in these states. Congratulations to workers and leaders of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry for their hardwork leading to excellent results," he said.
He also congratulated workers and leaders of Gujarat for winning the Talala Assembly bypoll. The seat has been wrested from Congress.
Union Minister Sushma Swaraj said the Assam poll victory is a result of lifetime work of workers and leaders in building the organisation.
"My heartfelt gratitude to the people of Assam for electing a BJP Government in the state. Profound greetings to the BJP workers of Assam.
"This victory is the result of life time work of those who dedicated their lives building the organisation in the north east. My greetings to BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said BJP's victory in Assam is a "happy gift" to the party and the prime minister on completion of two years of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.
"Today's result is a clear slap on the face of opportunistic opposition alliance. Assembly results clearly show that people of India are intolerant towards Congress party because Congress was not ready to accept the verdict of the people," he told reporters.
BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who is part of party's Margdarshak Mandal and was among the veterans who were critical of Modi-Shah leadership after the Bihar debacle last year, has written to both the PM and the party chief, congratulating them for BJP's success in these polls.
He voiced hope that it will give the workers confidence to replicate the same in the upcoming elections, especially in Uttar Pradesh.
"The strategy adopted and hardwork of workers has resulted in bringing about a revolutionary change in the country's polity. For the first time from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and from Dwarka to Kamrup, BJP has emerged stronger.
"I hope the success in these polls will help build confidence in the party workers in upcoming polls in other states, including Uttar Pradesh," Joshi said.
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the results indicated a "pan-India" rise of BJP, which he said is also "because of the kind of governance people have seen in the last two years when party came to power at the Centre".
He said that people have seen how corruption has been curbed and these issues have found resonance in these results.
"Negative destructive politics of Congress once again defeated. Positive approach and commitment to good governance succeeded," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, adding that the BJP is committed to development, good governance and welfare of all sections of the society.
Union Minister J P Nadda said the election results are encouraging for the party.
"The results clearly show that India is moving towards Congress-free India and the support with which BJP has won is really encouraging specially in Kerala where we have been able to have an impact and see to it that we emerge as a political force there.
"Similarly, the results in Assam and West Bengal are also very encouraging for BJP and certainly people have reposed their faith in the party," he said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave credit to the Prime Minister for BJP's performance.
"It is a matter of immense happiness and I congratulate Prime Minister for the BJP's major victory in Assam. His personality and works are highly impressive," Chouhan told reporters at his residence in Bhopal.
Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Piyush Goyal said the message of these elections is that "development politics works".
