Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering during the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ ceremony of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project in Kaliabor, Nagaon district, Assam on January 18, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (January 18, 2026) cited the result of the Bihar Assembly elections and the Mumbai civic polls to declare that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the first choice of the people in the country.
After laying the foundation stone for the ₹6,957-crore Kaziranga elevated corridor and virtually shutting down two Amrit Bharat trains from Kaliabor in Assam where polling was underway, he also said the Congress party had lost the nation’s trust.
The country has shown growing faith and trust in the BJP in recent months, Mr. Modi said. “In Bihar elections, even after 20 years, people helped BJP win a record number of seats. Maharashtra Municipal Corporation election results were announced two days ago. Mumbai gave BJP a record mandate for the first time. People allowed BJP to serve them in most other cities of Maharashtra,” he said.
A consistent national trend
The prime minister said the results across states — including Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, where the BJP secured the mayor’s post for the first time — reflected a consistent national trend. “Voters today want good governance and development. That’s why they like the BJP,” he said.
“The results also showed that voters repeatedly reject the negative policies of the Congress,” he added.
He alleged that the Congress had lost the confidence of the country due to lack of development agenda. “The Congress took fourth or fifth place in Mumbai, where it was born. In Maharashtra, which it ruled for years, it has shrunk significantly,” Mr. Modi pointed out.
Pro-infiltrators
He accused the Congress of handing over Assam’s land to infiltrators and helping them encroach on large swaths of land without caring about Assam’s history, culture or faith. These infiltrators are disturbing the demographic balance of the state, he said.
Mr. Modi praised the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government for effectively dealing with infiltration and freeing forests and historical and cultural sites from encroachment.
He also praised the state’s NDA government for stopping rhino poaching in the Kaziranga National Park, the “soul of Assam” and the “priceless jewel of Indian land”, which he accused the Congress of neglecting.
The 86 km Kaziranga Elevated Corridor is a four-lane state highway project. It includes 35 km of elevated wildlife corridor that will run through the park.
“The elevated wildlife corridor will ensure uninterrupted movement of animals and reduce human-wildlife conflicts. It will also increase road safety, reduce travel time and accident rates, and support increased passenger and freight traffic,” an official statement said.
Published – 18 Jan 2026 13:04 IST