By Kushan Niyogi and Saurav Gupta
Election Results 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s headquarters were filled with a coterie of well-wishers after their clean sweep in Delhi, yet the leaders and winners chose to sit the victory out, with none of them showing up to celebrate.
A fleet of auto-rickshaws with saffron flags placed snugly between the gaps of the rods by the entrance waited to embark on a massive victory rally in groups of tens. They were parked by the footpath adjoining the headquarters since 12 in the afternoon. The drivers remained ignorant of when they would set off on the victory lap.
The victory, however, remained sour in their mouths.
Party supporters thronged the main assembly area of the premises, some with rather eccentric dresses. One supporter donned a kurta adorned with multiple lotus symbols fashioned in the style of Jai Shri Ram, while another had spent four months riding his cycle to travel to Delhi from Bihar only to partake in BJP’s and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s celebrations.
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However, the air of victory remained amiss.
“There was a call for ‘400 paar’ (over 400 seats) but it was just a slogan. The aim was to form a clear majority government and that is what we have achieved,” said Chandrashekhar Joshi, with the saffron flag fluttering high.
Disappointed sighs due to the inability of the saffron party to claim 400 seats filled the air inside the premises.
Advocate Poonam Chawla (name changed) had supported the party for over a decade, yet the 10 years of absolute dominance in the country ending was disappointing for her.
“It is not ‘400 paar’ but we are going for the government yet again. I am really happy about the fact that PM Modi is forming the government again, we can maintain our stronghold here,” she said.
However, all was not lost inside the headquarters.
Cadres from across the national capital had gathered at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg address. Some had vowed to not eat or drink till the moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the party members there, while some stayed hopeful of the about to be formed BJP government performing another surgical strike and claim “Pakistan Occupied Kashmir”.
Delhi BJP office remained empty throughout the day, as their spokesperson Virendra Sachdeva hid his face as the reporters walked past.
