Wins and worries: BJP's Gujarat win exposed chinks in its electoral armour

Hours after the BJP's double victory in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drove to the party headquarters in New Delhi to greet the faithful. Flanked by his senior cabinet and party colleagues, Modi made an impassioned victory speech that had elements of triumphalism, conciliation and an astute reiteration of his commitment to vikas (development). While concluding with his usual exhortation of Bharat Mata ki jai he then, with unusual fervour, urged the crowd to chant along with him, Jeetega Bhai Jeetega, Vikas hi Jeetega (Development will always emerge the winner). In doing so the prime minister was setting the agenda for the even bigger battles ahead that include a handful of vital state polls before his re election bid in the 2019 general election.

It is Modi's ability to think way ahead of his opponents even as he savours victory that makes him India's tallest leader. After the BJP's decisive win in Uttar Pradesh in March and its forming a government in three of the other four state polls held then, Modi in his victory