Strings of loud crackers, jubilant tunes being played on the shehnai, and party workers dancing to popular victory tunes played out by bandsmen dressed in red and gold: this was the scene outside the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters’ at Ashok Road on Sunday morning even as news came in about the party leading in Haryana and Maharashtra elections.
By afternoon, the traffic flow to Ashok Road was heavy with the BJP headquarters instantly turning into a popular must-see-site for Delhiites enjoying the mild October weather on a Sunday. The security was tightened with BJP chief Amit Shah all set to reach the BJP headquarters in the evening.
With celebrations beginning here (BJP headquarters) as early as 8:30 a.m. the Congress headquarters at Akbar Road wore a deserted look with more media personnel stationed there than party workers.
At the BJP headquarters, party leaders started coming in since morning with the party having set up an elaborate media centre (for electronic channels), a small food court, and a fast track clearance facility for entry at the main gate.
Attributing the victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s ‘hard work and good governance’, the BJP leaders and workers congratulated each others with every update on the TV screen announcing the BJP victory.
About the arrangements made at the BJP party office, a member of the Jea Band (that played music outside the office) said, “We were asked to come here between 7:30 and 8 a.m. and we were certain that the BJP was going to win. Early morning walkers in the area asked us as to how we and the BJP party members knew that they would win? I guess the BJP just knows the pulse of the people.”
As part of the celebration plans, caterers were booked to ‘take care’ of those making a beeline to the party office last evening itself. Early morning visitors to the BJP headquarters said that they were hoping to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself here.
Rahul Sharma, who drove down with his family all the way from West Delhi , said, “We have come to express our joy and also show my child (a class 5 student) the BJP office. You cannot deny that `Modi wave’ is real and it is here to stay.”