NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aggressive campaign in Maharashtra and Haryana, most notably his sustained anti-Pakistan rhetoric, yielded rich political dividends on Sunday after his Bharatiya Janata Party was set to form the next government in both states.

In Maharashtra, the BJP won 123 of 288 seats from Wednesday’s assembly elections, needing another 22 to easily form the government. In Haryana, the party won an absolute majority on its own for the first time.

“Today’s results show that the Modi wave is still the tsunami that can crush the opposition,” said BJP president Amit Shah.

The results brought more embarrassment for the Congress whose ally and former minister Sharad Pawar offered external support to the BJP in Maharashtra. The BJP was expected to stay with the Shiv Sena though, without completely shutting the doors on Mr Pawar’s party.

Some BJP leaders want it to review options against a possible reconciliation with former ally Shiv Sena.

Top BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, will travel to Mumbai tomorrow to hold consultations on how to form the government.

Sources in the Sena say that the party is willing to accept the post of Deputy Chief Minister for Maharashtra, and is open to talks about other key portfolios.

The alliance ended after 25 years in September because the BJP was unwilling to remain the Sena’s junior partner in Maharashtra.

The results will also boost the government’s confidence in clearing more economic reforms. On Friday, it lifted controls on diesel prices, a political hot potato.

State elections determine seat shares in the Rajya Sabha or upper house of parliament, where the BJP and its allies lack a majority. Gains in state elections will make the government less dependent on support from the opposition to get legislation cleared.

Haryana and Maharashtra have been bastions of the Congress and the party’s decimation in both states continues the massive decline it marked in May when it accrued its worst-ever result in the national election.

Mr Modi described as “historic results” the electoral victory in Haryana and Maharashtra and said it was a matter of immense happiness and pride for BJP.

BJP president Amit Shah, a fellow Gujraati and close confidant of the prime minister, said that the victory in Haryana and Maharashtra were two steps more in making ‘India Congress-free’.

Mr Shah added: “From the victory it is clear that Narendra Modi has become the undisputed leader of India.”

He reiterated that the election result is a stamp of approval of Mr Modi government’s work and policies at the Centre.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014