Farmers Movement Archive

‘Victory in recent polls shows support, trust for BJP’: Smriti Irani

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in the Bihar assembly election, by-polls in 11 states and 8 local bodies is a testament of the support that people of the country, especially in rural India, have shown for the Narendra Modi government said Union minister Smriti Irani on Monday. The minister, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Amethi, said the outcome of elections that were held between September and December are an indication that PM Modi and the BJP have been able to secure the trust of the people. The BJP, which is facing criticism from a section of farmers in Punjab and Haryana and the opposition parties over the recently framed farm laws, has been referring to its performance in these elections as evidence of not having lost its popularity. A section of farmers who are upset with the laws have been sitting in protest near the Delhi border, demanding that the laws be repealed. The BJP for its part has blamed the opposition for creating misinformation about the laws and instigating farmers, who it says stand to gain from the new laws. Irani, said support for the news laws and the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which was carried out simultaneously with the Modi government’s development agenda has played a key role in scripting the party’s performance. “Ever since the agriculture reform bills have been passed in Parliament the opposition parties have been trying to create misinformation that the people in rural areas are unhappy with the Union government. But the democratic process shows the truth ...how in the rural areas whether it is farmers or ordinary people, especially women have shown their faith in PM Modi and the BJP,” she said. To support her claims she said since September 27, 2020 and till December 22, the BJP won the Bihar assembly elections, by polls in 11 state; and eight local body elections. She said in Arunachal Pradesh of the 242 Zila Panchayats, the BJP tasted victory in 184 Zila Panchayats. “While the Congress has been able to deliver in only 11 such Panchayats in Arunachal Pradesh...in Manipur, Congress could not win a single seat and there was a clean sweep in the state of Gujarat where the BJP won all eight with 55% plus vote share.” She went on to add, “When the by-election was held in Telangana, the BJP won the election by defeating the representative of the state government there. In Karnataka, BJP won the by-election with 51% votes. In Manipur it won the by-election with more than 40% votes.” Irani also referred to the party’s performance in Uttar Pradesh by poll, where the BJP won 6 out of 7 seats and in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation where the party “created history by winning 48 seats up from last time’s 4”. “The DDC election created a unique history on the soil of Jammu and Kashmir. In this election, BJP won 75 seats,” she said to indicate support for the BJP in the union territory that was carved out a year ago.

Hindustan Times

28-12-2020

India