People rejected Congress politics, Oppn suffered shocking defeats in many states: PM Modi

January 18, 2026

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday continued his attack on the Congress party, saying that people across the country have rejected its politics due to the absence of a development agenda. Addressing a gathering during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of an elevated corridor in Assam’s Kaziranga, the Prime Minister said Congress had been “uprooted” from Maharashtra in the recent municipal elections and suffered major defeats despite ruling the state for decades.

He said the growing public trust in the BJP was evident from recent electoral outcomes, including the party’s strong mandate in Bihar Assembly elections and its improved performance in Kerala local body polls, resulting in a BJP mayor in Thiruvananthapuram.

BJP Governance Model Balances Development and Ecology: PM

PM Modi said people want good governance and the BJP has delivered it by balancing development with environmental protection. Highlighting the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project, he said the ₹6,000-crore initiative would protect wildlife while boosting the local economy. “We have shown that economy and ecology can move together,” he said, adding that the project would ensure free movement of animals and reduce human-animal conflict.

Congress Failed on Rhino Poaching, Infiltration: Modi

Taking a jibe at the Congress, the Prime Minister accused the party of failing to protect Assam’s one-horned rhinos during its rule, claiming poaching cases had increased then. He said the BJP government pledged to stop rhino poaching and achieved zero poaching cases in Assam in 2025. Modi also accused Congress of backing infiltrators to capture land belonging to indigenous people, asserting that the BJP’s “double-engine government” was committed to making the state infiltration-free.

Kaziranga Corridor and New Train Services Launched

PM Modi performed the Bhoomi Pujan for the ₹6,950-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project, an 86-km four-lane stretch of NH-715 designed as an environmentally sensitive highway. The project includes a 35-km elevated wildlife corridor through Kaziranga National Park, along with bypasses and highway widening to improve connectivity across Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts. The Prime Minister also flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains — Guwahati (Kamakhya)–Rohtak and Dibrugarh–Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) — strengthening rail links between the Northeast and northern India.