The BJP will focus its energy on conquering Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the next five years after its almost complete takeover of the northeast in the national election, the party's strategist in the region Himanta Biswa Sarma told NDTV. He also faulted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "trying to stop people from praising Lord Ram" in the eastern state where the BJP won 18 of the 42 seats, a massive improvement over its 2014 performance when it won only two seats.
"I think the people of Bengal are extremely angry with Mamata Banerjee. When she said you cannot utter Jai Shri Ram in Bengal, I think that was the climax, people got extremely upset, that how can you ask us not to shout Jai Shri Ram, who is our civilizational hero, who is hero of Indian civilisation, how can you do that? That was the big turning point," Mr Sarma told NDTV on Thursday after the BJP won the national election with more seats than it did in 2014.
The BJP, however, drew a blank in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, though its alliance partner AIADMK won a single seat in the latter.