BJP Has Gone From 'Shunya' to 'Shikhar' in Tripura, Says PM Modi in Victory Speech

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday evening arrived at the new BJP headquarters at 6, DDU Marg to a rousing reception from thousands of BJP workers and delivered a victory speech, hailing the party's foray into the North East.

In 2013, the BJP had a vote share of 1.3% and no seats in Tripura. Talking about the BJP's tremendous turnaround in the Communist bastion, Modi said, "BJP has gone from from ‘shunya se shikhar’. When the Sun sets, it is red. When it rises, it is saffron. Yesterday, the country celebrated Holi with all colours. Today, all colours have been washed away by saffron."

The speech began, however, with a tribute to the 9 BJP workers who have been killed over the last year, allegedly by CPI (M) workers. The Prime Minister said, "Many BJP workers have been martyred. Our innocent workers have been killed over ideological differences. Fear and falsehoods were used in Tripura. This is the power of democracy that even the poorest of the poor can vote and give their answer to cruelty. I dedicate this victory, with tears in my eyes, to those martyrs. I request you to offer two minutes of silence to those martyrs."

Modi also had terse terms for the Left parties, which, according to the PM, were not accepting their defeat with grace. "If there is democracy in your veins, then accept defeat also. I have been seeing since 2014, people have not been accepting defeat. I saw the statement from the Leftists today. I hope the country's intellectuals will see this arrogance and call it out," he said.

He added, "I want to thank all the voters of the North East on behalf of the BJP. For people in far-flung places, it is difficult to leave the old and embrace the new. So imagine how much they would have suffered that their anger has turned into a mandate for change."

Modi claimed the focus that the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had put on the North Eastern states was lost during the UPA era. His government, Modi said, was bringing that focus back. "Every 15 days, a Union Minister goes to the North East," he said.