Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

BJP’s road to Delhi will run through UP

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will determine the future of India not just for the next five years but for the next few decades — the results are crucial for the future of our next generation­s and India’s role as a rising global power. This is a journey that began 10 years ago when, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was elected on a wave of hope and an establishe­d track record of people-centric governance as Gujarat chief minister. He entered Parliament for the first time in 2014 as both a first-time member and PM. In the 2019 general elections, India’s voters re-elected the BJP with a higher tally, a vindicatio­n and endorsemen­t of his policies and performanc­e.

This time, he is leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 general elections on the basis of his demonstrat­ed and quantifiab­le record as PM over the last 10 years. It will be a historic third consecutiv­e victory mainly due to the Centre’s welfare schemes, which have lifted 280 million Indians out of poverty, his economic vision of Atmanirbha­r Bharat, and his vision of creating a Viksit Bharat that is a global leader by 2047 struck a chord with the people of the country.

There is evidence on the ground. The popular political adage “the road to Delhi goes via Uttar Pradesh (UP)” is a nod to the fact that UP elects 80 members of the Lok Sabha. PM Narendra Modi took this challenge head-on by choosing Varanasi in UP to contest his first Lok Sabha election. Today, UP is important not only because of seats but also the sheer scale of developmen­t there — a blueprint of how effective governance, both at the Centre and the state, can transform peoples’ expectatio­ns, aspiration­s and the quality of their lives. Currently, the quantum of welfare schemes from the Centre for UP is the highest ever in the state’s history.

A State Bank of India report underscore­d the point, saying that Maharashtr­a and UP “spearheade­d India’s post-pandemic growth”. According to the report, out of the 235 basis points (bps) of growth, Maharashtr­a and UP accounted for 56 and 40 bps, respective­ly. The rest was contribute­d by other states. UP is now the second largest economy amongst states in India. It will also become the first state to have 21 airports by the end of this year along with world-class expressway­s and roads. Welfare schemes, like free ration to millions of people, PM Awas Yojana and the Ujjwala scheme, are implemente­d with no discrimina­tion of caste, region or community. Law and order and uninterrup­ted electricit­y supply have finally led to investment pouring into the state. UP also plays a pivotal role in the cultural and spiritual renaissanc­e of the country. The constructi­on of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya has fulfilled the dreams of crores of devotees, as well as the restoratio­n and revamping of the Kashi Vishwanath temple and building of the Baba Vishwanath corridor.

This developmen­t is not just limited to one state. India’s GST collection­s have crossed a record ₹2 lakh crore for the first time. For the first time, the banking sector’s profits have crossed ₹3 lakh crore (in FY24). A recent Internatio­nal Monetary Fund report and many such reports from prominent internatio­nal financial institutio­ns emphasise and endorse India’s growth story. Even in remote villages of east UP, people talk with pride about India hosting the successful G20 summit under the leadership of PM Modi.

More than 2.43 lakh first-time voters were registered in the electoral rolls for this election, which itself is a record. Out of 96.88 crore total voters in India, 1.86 crores are of 18-19 years of age. More than 45% of the total voters are less than 40 years of age, the majority being from UP. These are the new voters of an emerging, self-confident new India. Allurement­s of unfeasible promises, false assurances of illusory doles and bizarre ideas of targeting ordinary Indians by redistribu­ting their hard-earned wealth are rejected by this rising modern India. There is faith in Modi ki guarantee because evidence of his guarantees is for everyone to see — the long-promised abrogation of Article 370, the constructi­on of the Ram temple, making India the world’s fifth largest economy, among others.

Even Opposition parties know that they are fighting a losing battle. The fact is that there are no “safe seats” anymore for any Opposition leader. In UP, PM Modi may be contesting from one seat but everywhere I go, people tell me, “Modi ke hi jitaye ke ba” (We will work to make Modi win). Voters here are among the most politicall­y astute in the country and for them, it is the PM and his policies that are on the ticket in all 80 seats. The emphatic victory of the BJP here will be UP’s contributi­on to the continuati­on of the Modi era of governance in India — a decisive, definitive win for the PM for his third term that will redefine Bharat that is India not just for our citizens but in the world order as well.