Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, January 18, 2026, celebrated the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) significant success in the recent Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The BMC polls, held on January 15, with results declared on January 16, saw the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secure a historic victory, gaining control of Asia's richest civic body for the first time. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 89 seats, and along with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, crossed the majority mark of 114 in the 227-member corporation. Modi hailed this as a testament to the people's trust in the BJP's development agenda and proclaimed the party as the "first choice of everyone" across the country, citing additional wins in Bihar and Kerala local elections. During his visit to Assam, the Prime Minister also launched a strong critique against the Congress party. Addressing rallies in Kaliabor and Nagaon, Modi accused the Congress of "handing over Assam's land to infiltrators for votes" during its decades-long rule in the northeastern state. He alleged that under Congress rule, illegal immigration led to encroachment on forests, animal corridors, and traditional institutions, threatening Assam's identity and culture. Modi asserted that the current BJP government is actively protecting the state by evicting infiltrators. He further criticized the Congress for its "negative politics" and lack of a development agenda, pointing to its diminished standing in Mumbai, the city of its birth, where it now ranks fourth or fifth. His Assam visit also included laying the foundation stone for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project.