A new India has emerged: Modi

In a victory speech yesterday evening, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the BJP's near-historic victory in state elections is a mandate by the poor for the opportunities the BJP has afforded them and will continue to offer them.

"Growth is a difficult political issue. Development is always a central issue during every election. But, earlier parties were scared to fight elections on development. We fought on development," Modi said in the speech at the BJP's headquarters in New Delhi.

The PM was reiterating rhetoric from his poll campaign when he stressed that the BJP is committed to working for the poor and is focussed on development and performance.

"The poor are saying- I want to progress and I seek the opportunity from you. This is the foundation of a new India, this is new India's credo," he said.

And keeping an eye firmly on Lok Sabha 2019, he gave a shout out to India's middle class, too.

"The burden on the middle class should reduce. This will enable our middle classes to shine. If we bring together the poor's strength and the middle class's aspirations, no one can stop us," Modi said.

The PM also took forward his tweets of earlier today to coin a new catch phrase - "a new India." The mandate, he said, in tweets and elaborated upon in his speech, is one for "a new India". He today also unveiled #IAmNewIndia, a nation-building exercise on the NaMo App, which is "a pledge to build a new India".

BJP won a surprise absolute majority in Uttar Pradesh in the north, which is home to 220 million people and seen as a key indicator of national politics. It won 311 of the total 403 seats there. It also won in Uttarakhand state.

The BJP also made big gains in the northeastern state of Manipur. The party won 21 of the 60 seats in the state, where it previously held none, behind Congress on 28.

Congress won in the northern state of Punjab, where it fended off a challenge from the fledgeling Aam Aadmi Party.

In Goa, the Congress led with 17 of the state's 40 seats, but fell short of a majority. Yesterday BJP said it will form government there with the help of other parties which has 10 seats.