Ashish Shelar: BJP's 'bullet train' of development emerges victorious

BJP workers today celebrated the party's performance in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, distributing sweets and bursting firecrackers. At the 'victory celebration' held at the state BJP office in south Mumbai, party workers burst firecrackers and danced to 'dhol' beats, shouting slogans praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ashish Shelar

'Desh ka neta kaisa ho, Narendra Modi jaisa ho', the BJP activists said. Addressing party workers, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said the election results have proven that the 'bullet train' of development, under Modi's leadership, has emerged victorious.

"The opposition violated all campaign norms but people showed them their place," Shelar said.

"People in Gujarat and Himachal voted for development and BJP leadership," he added.

Shelar also targeted bickering ally Shiv Sena for the latter's criticism of BJP and Modi.

BJP Lok Sabha member from Mumbai Kirit Somaiya said it was high-time that "our friend Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena", who daydreamed of defeat in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, wake up to reality.

The BJP inched towards a record sixth straight victory in Gujarat assembly polls, and was set to evict the Congress in Himachal Pradesh, tightening the party's grip over the country's politics with general elections only 18 months away.