Beginning of Modi era in BJP

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) emphatic performance in the 16th Lok Sabha elections marks the start of the Narendra Modi era in the party. The BJP was ahead in the race for at least 277 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha on Friday, putting it on course for winning a majority on its own.

With the clear backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP, Modi has established himself as the most powerful leader within the party. The plan of the RSS to start the process of a generational change in the party by sidelining L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi in the election campaign is complete.

“It is the beginning of Modi era and the generational shift in the party is complete now. This is a watershed moment for BJP because it is the first time that BJP is not just the single largest party but the party has a majority on its own,” said Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, senior leader of the RSS and member of the BJP, which was formed in April 1980.

Even before the Lok Sabha election results were announced on Friday, party leaders including BJP president Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari, had been visiting Gandhinagar, indicating that it was the Gujarat chief minister who was calling the shots in the party.

Senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Advani, who were reluctant to support Modi’s elevation as the chief of the campaign committee and prime ministerial candidate of the party, will now have to come to terms with the new reality within BJP.

The rise of Modi has also led to state leaders like Amit Shah getting prominence in the BJP. Shah was not only made general secretary of the party but he was also given the task of overseeing the BJP’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha. BJP is on course to winning three-fourths of the seats in Uttar Pradesh.