GUWAHATI, Jan 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has firmly established itself as the first choice of people across the country, while the Congress has steadily lost the trust of the nation. Addressing a public gathering at Kaliabor in Assam, Modi cited the BJP’s recent electoral successes in the Bihar Assembly elections and municipal polls in Maharashtra and Kerala as clear evidence of growing public confidence in his party’s governance model.

The Prime Minister was speaking at an event to lay the foundation stone of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project, a major infrastructure initiative worth over ₹6,950 crore, aimed at improving connectivity while protecting wildlife in and around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

“Today, the BJP has become the first choice of people all over the country,” Modi said. “Over the past one to one-and-a-half years, the nation’s faith in the BJP has been steadily increasing. Even in states where the BJP has been in power for many years, people have once again reposed their trust in us.”

Referring to the Bihar Assembly elections, Modi said that despite being in power in the state for nearly two decades, the BJP received a record mandate from voters. According to him, this reflected public approval of the party’s governance, development initiatives, and commitment to stability. He also highlighted the results of the recently concluded municipal elections in Maharashtra, calling them a major endorsement of the BJP’s performance.

“Just two days ago, the results of the municipal polls in Maharashtra were declared,” the Prime Minister said. “In Mumbai, which is one of the largest municipal corporations in the world, the people have given the BJP a record mandate. This shows the scale of trust that citizens have placed in our party.”

Modi noted that the BJP has been entrusted with running civic bodies in most cities of Maharashtra, a state where the Congress had once enjoyed a strong political presence. He further pointed to the party’s breakthrough in Kerala, a state traditionally dominated by the Left and the Congress. The BJP recently registered a historic victory in the municipal elections in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, where BJP leader V.V. Rajesh assumed charge as mayor with the support of an independent councillor.

“These results are not isolated incidents,” Modi said. “They reflect a clear and consistent mandate across elections held in recent years. The people of India today want good governance, development, and respect for heritage. This is why they are repeatedly choosing the BJP.”

In a sharp attack on the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party has been consistently rejected by voters because of what he described as its “negative politics” and lack of a clear development agenda. He pointed out that even in Mumbai, where the Congress was founded, the party has slipped to the fourth or fifth position in recent civic elections.

“In Mumbai, where the Congress was born, today the party is struggling at the margins,” Modi said. “The same is true for Maharashtra, where they ruled for many years. This clearly shows that the country has moved on from the politics of negativity.”

According to Modi, the Congress has lost the nation’s trust because it failed to focus on development and governance when it was in power. He argued that such a party could never serve the interests of Assam or any other state. The Prime Minister accused the Congress of prioritising power and vote-bank politics over national interest, particularly in border states like Assam.

Highlighting the issue of illegal encroachment and infiltration, Modi praised the BJP-led Assam government for taking firm action to free government land from encroachers. He alleged that previous Congress governments had encouraged illegal immigration for electoral gains, leading to widespread encroachment on government land, forest areas, and wildlife corridors.

“The BJP government’s efforts to free land from encroachers in Assam have been widely appreciated,” he said. “But for decades, when the Congress was in power, infiltration kept increasing. Encroachers occupied land and even animal corridors, which led to serious environmental consequences.”

Modi linked unchecked infiltration and encroachment to an increase in poaching and the smuggling of wild animal parts, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions like Kaziranga. He said these practices not only harmed Assam’s natural heritage but also posed long-term risks to local communities and biodiversity.

“That is why people must remain cautious about the Congress,” the Prime Minister said. “They did the same in many other places, including Bihar, but the voters there delivered a resounding defeat. I am confident that the people of Assam will also give a clear answer when the state goes to polls in the coming months.”

Turning to development initiatives, Modi elaborated on the significance of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project. Once completed, the 86-kilometre-long project will include a 35-kilometre elevated wildlife corridor passing through Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, a 21-kilometre bypass, and the widening of the existing National Highway-715 from two lanes to four lanes.

Officials explained that during annual floods in the Brahmaputra, wild animals often cross the national highway in search of higher ground, leading to accidents and loss of wildlife. The elevated corridor is designed to ensure uninterrupted and safe movement of animals, significantly reducing human-wildlife conflict. It is also expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time, lower accident rates, and support the growth of passenger and freight traffic in the region.

“Kaziranga is not just a national park; it is part of Assam’s soul,” Modi said. “It is a priceless jewel of India’s biodiversity and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Protecting it and its wildlife is our collective responsibility.”

The Prime Minister also addressed concerns over the poaching of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, a symbol of Assam’s natural heritage. He credited the BJP government at both the Centre and the state for taking strong measures to curb poaching and strengthen wildlife protection.

In addition to road infrastructure, Modi highlighted improvements in rail connectivity in the Northeast. He flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains — the Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and the Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express — calling them important steps toward integrating the region more closely with the rest of the country.

“During the Congress regime, Assam’s annual rail budget was around ₹2,000 crore,” Modi said. “Today, it has increased to nearly ₹10,000 crore. The Northeast is no longer distant from Delhi. It is now connected not just to the heart of the nation, but also directly to its capital, through better roads, railways, and infrastructure.”

Concluding his address, the Prime Minister reiterated that the BJP’s growing electoral success was rooted in its focus on development, governance, and national interest. He said the repeated mandates received by the party across states reflected the people’s desire for stability, progress, and a future-oriented vision for India.