Modi wins but it's the Congress which is celebrating

The black board at the BJP office in Khanpur had just one line on it on Sunday evening. The result of Rajkot-II election where Chief Minister Narendra Modi won. The results of Sayajiganj and Mahuva were conveniently left out.

At the BJP office the party leaders and workers did not know whether to laugh or cry. The mood at the party office n the evening was sombre and dull and the occasional slogans raised by party workers failed to lift the spirits. There were few smiles, but more frowns as they waited for Chief Minister Narendra Modi to arrive.

The presence of a large number of BJP's who-is-who, party workers, MLAs and leaders only added to the gloom because the point of discussion, albeit in whispers, was not Modi's victory but the loss in Sayajiganj and Mahuva and the debacle in UP, Punjab and Uttranchal.

Party President Rajendrasinh Rana decided to shut himself up in the executive committee meeting room on the second floor opting to come out only when Narendra Modi arrived. It was obvious that the losses at Vadodara and Surat were weighing heavily on the minds of BJP leaders.

A disappointed State President Rajendrasinh Rana observed, "We have one more year before the elections. We must all work hard to ensure the party retains power."

When told that before the elections the party was very confident and claimed of winning all three seats, Rana said the caste factor went against them in Mahuva while he blamed Jaspal Singh's antics for the loss in Sayajiganj.

However, the BJP had made adequate arrangements to conceal its losses at Sayajiganj and Mahuva by organising an extravagant program to celebrate the victory of Modi.

A stage was set up on the road outside the party office, where party workers, councilors and others had gathered, expecting the CM to arrive around 5.30 p.m., but Modi arrived at 6.20 p.m.

Even as he stepped out of his car, party workers surrounded him and garlanded him. Others threw flower petals into the air, while some workers set off fireworks.

Party workers and others took turns to garland the CM, some garlands were life size. Seen cramped on the stage, along with hordes of photographers and others were Rajendrasinh Rana, Revenue Minister Haren Pandya, Minister of State for Home Gordhan Zadaphia, MLA Amit Shah and others.

Although all attempts were being made to ensure that the function was a show of strength, it was apparent that many workers had the two other losses on their minds as Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai were not followed by equal enthusiasm from the workers, who had assembled there.

Modi too said that while he was happy to have won, the responsibilities have increased.

Arriving almost an hour behind schedule at the BJP State party office in Khanpur, the chief minister was accorded a huge welcome by BJP party office bearers, councilors and workers.

Modi later said that he had asked people to take his examination and that they had passed him with distinction. Not once during the hour-long function did any of the BJP leaders mention the Sayajiganj and Mahuva assembly seats results, instead they preferred to talk about the Rajkot-II Assembly seat, from where Chief Minister Narendra Modi won.

Republished from The Indian Express