Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning for the record third time is a rare feat in Indian politics. However, disparate political parties, facing grave corruption charges, and coming together against the NDA led to a weak mandate for the NDA and BJP in particular, observed BJP leaders. BJP leader Etala Rajendar, who won Malkajgiri by 3,91,650 votes, thanked the people for reposing faith in him. “It has increased my responsibility,” he said.
On Modi failing to get the numbers, Rajendar said achieving victory even after being in power for 10 years was a great achievement. “Why did the UPA fail to register victory after being in power for 10 years? Why did a political party (YSRCP) in our neighboring state (AP), which secured a two-thirds majority last time, badly lose,” Rajendar asked. “People are aware how KCR, who was in power for
10 years on powerful Telangana sentiment, lost the Assembly election,” Rajendar said.
BJP’s Telangana vice-president N.V.S.S. Prabhakar told Deccan Chronicle that corrupt political leaders, who were knee-deep in corruption, had ganged up in several states to defeat the BJP. The false and misleading campaign by some political parties had united minorities in some states, which led to decreased numbers for the BJP.
The good work carried out in the last 10 years and pro-incumbency had enabled Modi to come back to power for a third time, said Prabhakar. He pointed out that no Congress government in the past had managed to win for a straight second term and it was the BJP government only that is coming to power for the third time on the merit of its work.