India, May 10 -- Recently, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi participated in the swearing-in ceremony in two states. These weren't organised merely to declare Samrat Chaudhary and Suvendu Adhikari as chief ministers of their respective states. They were a declaration of an electoral ashwamedh yagya by the saffron outfit inspired by its outstanding success in recent years.

In May 2014, when Modi assumed charge at the Centre, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with all its allies was in power in just seven states of the country. Today, NDA rules 22 states and Union Territories in the country. The BJP has chief ministers in 15 important states. How did they achieve such success? Some partisan observers call it a victory of communalism. ...