Party is king, Rajnath reminds Modi after win

Ahmedabad/ New Delhi: Modi masks, Modi T-shirts and Modi slogans—it was Chief Minister Narendra Modi all the way as tens of thousands Sunday celebrated a resounding win of the BJP in Gujarat.

It was festival time at the BJP headquarters here and in virtually every town across the state with men and women pouring out of their homes and dancing to drum beats, waving the party's green-and-saffron flags and shouting unending slogans hailing their undisputed hero: Modi.

Firecrackers were set off at regular intervals, the deafening noise at times drowning the wild sloganeering. Many distributed sweets - and consumed them with relish too.

Some men danced holding their children on their shoulders.

Many sported "Modi masks", which became hugely popular during the campaigning for the Dec 11 and 16 polling, waving their hands frantically each time TV cameras focussed on them.

At the party head office, a few Muslims conspicuous with their skullcaps joined the chorus.

"There has been developmental work. Let us hope Modi continues to develop Gujarat," Mohammed Bilal, one of the Muslims, told IANS.

Slogans that rent the air included "Jeet Gaya Gujarat!" (Gujarat has won), a change from the pre-election slogan of "Jeetega Gujarat!" (Gujarat will win).

A stall quickly came up outside the BJP office to sell the Modi memorabilia, including badges and stickers.

Some supporters sported the Santa Claus cap that has been selling well in the winter season ahead of Christmas.

Vehicular movement at the nearby traffic junction came to halt, with supporters' cars bearing large posters of Modi.

The BJP is expected to win nearly 120 seats in the 182-member legislature.

Suresh Patel, a BJP supporter who came from the outskirts of Ahmedabad, said of the emphatic victory: "This is Modi's magic."

Inside the party office, BJP leaders were huddled taking down notes furiously while checking updates on TV news channels.

Modi was closeted with his aides throughout the morning at his Gandhinagar residence.

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In stark contrast, there were few party workers at the Congress office across the river Sabarmati. Outside, the open ground was deserted but for the presence of a large number of journalists.

In New Delhi, hundreds of BJP members and supporters danced to drum beats outside the party headquarters, burst firecrackers and distributed sweets. They also shouted slogans hailing Modi, BJP leader L.K. Advani and the party.

Many of them made fun of BJP dissidents in Gujarat who had been expected to cause major losses to the party in the December 11 and 16 elections.

BJP president says party has won

BJP President Rajnath Singh joined the victory celebrations in Delhi and congratulated Modi but told reporters that nobody was "bigger than the party."

"Modi was the chief minister there and under his leadership the state government has given development to the state," Singh said. "He and his government had a clean image and worked for development. Under his leadership, Gujarat has emerged as a model state."

Asked whether Modi had emerged bigger than the BJP, he replied: "why is this question being asked again and again."

Singh said the BJP will also win in Himachal Pradesh, where counting of votes will be done on December 28. On whether Modi will be one of the first line candidates the party will project in the next elections: "there is no first or second category in our party and in the next Lok Sabha elections the BJP will contest elections under the leadership of Advani, who is our Prime Ministerial candidate."

(With IANS and PTI)