Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, January 18, celebrated the Bharatiya Janata Party's major victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. He declared the BJP as the "first choice" for people across the country. Speaking at a rally in Assam, Modi also sharply criticized the Congress party, accusing it of facilitating infiltrators in the northeastern state for electoral gains. The Prime Minister’s remarks came two days after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive win in Maharashtra's civic polls.
BJP Dominates Maharashtra Civic Elections
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a significant triumph in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, India's richest civic body. The alliance surpassed the majority mark of 114 seats in the 227-member corporation, securing a total of 118 seats. The BJP alone won 89 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) secured 29 seats. This victory marked the first time the BJP has gained such a mandate in Mumbai's civic polls, breaking the Shiv Sena's long-standing dominance.[timesofindia+3]
Across Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance emerged as the clear winner in 25 out of 29 municipal corporations where elections were held. The BJP individually won 1,425 seats out of 2,869 across these corporations. In contrast, the Congress party secured only 24 seats in the Mumbai BMC polls, placing it in the fourth or fifth position in the city where it was founded. PM Modi highlighted these results as evidence of the nation's growing trust in the BJP for good governance and development. He also noted BJP's strong performance in other municipal elections, including in Kerala, where the party secured a mayor for the first time in Thiruvananthapuram.[m+11]
Modi Attacks Congress Over Assam Infiltration
During his visit to poll-bound Assam on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing the party of having "handed over Assam's land to infiltrators for votes" during its decades-long rule. Speaking at a rally in Kaliabor, he alleged that illegal immigration continually increased under Congress, leading to encroached forests, animal corridors, and traditional institutions. Modi asserted that infiltrators disturb the demographic balance, attack local culture, snatch jobs from the youth, and fraudulently occupy land in tribal areas, posing a serious threat to Assam's security.[taxtmi+4]
The Prime Minister emphasized that the current BJP government is actively working to protect Assam's identity and culture by evicting these infiltrators. He warned the people of Assam to be vigilant against the Congress, stating that its "only policy is to protect infiltrators and gain power." Modi made these remarks while addressing the Bagurumba Dwhou 2026, a cultural event celebrating the Bodo community's heritage in Guwahati. He also praised the state's Hemanta Biswa Sarma government for recovering land from illegal settlers and returning it to rightful owners.[taxtmi+4]
BJP's Development Agenda and National Trust
PM Modi contrasted the BJP's focus on development with what he called the Congress's "negative politics." He stated that the Congress has lost the nation's trust because it lacks a clear agenda for development, and such a party cannot serve the interests of states like Assam. Modi highlighted the BJP's continuous rise in public confidence over the past year and a half, citing recent electoral successes in Bihar and municipal bodies in Maharashtra and Kerala.[odishabytes+3]
During his Assam visit, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project, valued at over ₹6,950 crores, underlining his government's commitment to balancing economic development with ecological preservation. He lauded Assam's achievement of zero rhino poaching incidents in 2025, attributing it to the BJP government's political will and the efforts of women forest guards. Modi reiterated that the BJP has become the "first choice" of voters across the country, signifying a shift towards parties focused on good governance and development.[timesofindia+6]
