Modi is national level leader:BJP after DNH victory

Seeking to downplay senior leader Sushma Swaraj’s comments that Narendra Modi’s magic may not work everywhere, BJP today said the Gujarat chief minister is a national-level leader and credited him for it’s victory in local body polls in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

“There was a wave (in favour of BJP) in Dadra and Nagar Haveli(DNH) local body elections which started from Gujarat due to Narendra Bhai and had an influence on the polls,” BJP vice-president Najma Heptullah told reporters. Heptullah is in-charge of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. She gave credit to Modi and the development work he had done in Gujarat.

She maintained that Dadra and Nagar Haveli- which is governed by the Centre as it is a union territory- was impressed with the prosperity under Modi in neighbouring Gujarat. She said since Dadra and Nagar Haveli are located very close to Gujarat, the influence of the state and its growth story is high on the locals.

“There is a lot of poverty in Dadra and Nagar Haveli,” Heptullah said, claiming this will change in the near future with both MPs from the region being from her party.

Asked if this indicated that Modi was emerging as a national-level leader and would play a significant role at the Centre soon, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, “Modi is a national-level leader.”

This statement comes soon after the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had said during the on-going Bihar poll campaign that Modi’s magic may not work everywhere.