Assembly election results: BJP spreads footprint in northeast as it wins Assam, victory gives more heft to Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: The impressive victory in Assam and gains in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have come as a shot in the arm for BJP, which was reeling under the losses in Delhi and Bihar elections, and the outcome will give more heft to party chief Amit Shah in planning his future poll battles as well as altering the organisational structure.

What made the results sweeter for the BJP is the ousting of its main political adversary Congress in Assam and Kerala. A buoyant Shah was quick to describe the results as another step towards a "Congress-mukt Bharat". The party is likely to leverage its win in Assam to further strengthen its foothold in the northeast.

For Shah the results have come at an opportune time as he grows into his first full term as BJP chief. He can now form his new team before the National Executive meeting, to be held on June 11-12.

Shah’s stamp will be visible in the restructuring of BJP organisation as well as the expected reshuffle in the Union Cabinet. While the final word is still that of PM Modi, his trusted lieutenant has proved his mettle. The murmurs of dissent that were growing after the drubbing in Delhi and Bihar as well as the mishandling of affairs in Uttarakhand recently are going to get subdued at least till the next polls in Punjab, Uttarakhand and UP.


Wresting Assam, a border state where RSS has been active for decades, has important future connotations for BJP as it opens doors for the party’s foray into the northeast. PM Modi has made northeast a prime focus of his government and Union ministers have been asked to visit northeast states from time to time.

RSS leaders like Mohan Bhagwat and Krishna Gopal have devoted a lot of their time as pracharaks in northeast. For BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who was earlier with RSS and is now Assam in-charge, the results have added another feather in his cap after Jammu and Kashmir.

Known till just a few years back as a "cow-belt party", BJP-led NDA got 15 per cent votes in Kerala this time. BJP and its ally GJM have won six seats in Bengal. In Kerala, BJP won only the Nemam seat but its candidates came second in seven seats.