2017 UP Assembly Elections: When Narendra Modi painted the state saffron...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi won back the prized state of Uttar Pradesh after 14 years in more than grand style, propelling his party to a stunning landslide victory just like he did in 2014 Lok Sabha polls when BJP had secured a majority on its own making it the first non-Congress party to do so.

When PM Modi spent an unprecedented three days in his Parliamentary constituency Varanasi, as it was being said that the eight Assembly seats there may not go the BJP way, the Opposition took potshots at him for doing so, saying that it didn't suit his stature. However, the results of UP shows that 'hard work' and going all out in an election that was a high-stakes one is not a bad idea. And probably the Opposition, especially Congress' vice president Rahul Gandhi should learn something from it.

The hunger to win and the willingness to work 24x7 for it, is something that has now become a hallmark of PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. What is almost unbelievable is that not many thought that the BJP would be able to replicate the 2014 showing when along with its ally, Apna Dal, it had bagged 73 out of 80 Lok Sabha with a vote share of 42 percent. This time the vote share is almost 40 percent.

The win seems all the more humongous considering BJP won only 47 seats in 2012 Assembly elections in the state. And in 2007, they had won 51 seats. This victory is also sure to galvanise the PM, the party chief and cadre for the 2019 General Elections and build a momentum for it. At the same time, it puts a stamp on the fact, that the popularity of PM Modi has not waned - something which was questioned after BJP's loss in Bihar in 2015- despite demonetisation, something which Opposition had said would be his 'waterloo'.

Though the Opposition said that perhaps the BJP tried to polarise the elections mid way when PM Modi made a statement on 'shamshaan-kabristaan' and 'Holi-Ramzaan' and when Shah talked about 'Kasab' of UP politics, 'social engineering' undertaken by the BJP chief may have been one of the reasons for BJP bagging more than 300 seats. The tiredness with SP and BSP's rule and the hope in PM Modi seems to have been another overriding factor. In rallies after rallies. PM Modi took on the SP-Congress and BSP over corruption, lack of development, law and order issues, poor electricity situation and lack of jobs among other things. At the same time, he promised to alter the situation of the state and its people and the voters did buy what he said.

However, the amazing win has also raised expectations from PM Modi and he has to now deliver and do as he said after the win in UP - “Every moment of our time, everything we do is for welfare and well-being of the people of India. We believe in the power of 125 crore Indians.”