EDISON, N.J. — More than 600 members of the Indian American community gathered May 12 at the Royal Albert Palace in Edison, New Jersey, as the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA (OFBJP-USA) hosted a victory celebration marking the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral successes in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry.
Organizers described the gathering as a celebration of what they called a defining moment in India’s democratic journey, highlighted by the BJP’s first-ever victory in West Bengal, along with consecutive victories by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Assam and Puducherry.
The ballroom was filled with supporters from across the tri-state area, with attendees applauding as election results and speeches were presented throughout the evening.
Shri Mayank Nayak, a Member of Parliament from India, addressed the audience virtually through Zoom. Introduced by Shri Amar Goswami, Nayak praised the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, saying the BJP’s victories were the result of years of planning and organizational work.
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“This is an important victory in Bengal and Assam for the sake of India’s security and integrity,” said Dr. Adapa Prasad, president of OFBJP-USA. He noted that the West Bengal victory coincided with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh by Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, whom he described as a son of Bengal whose vision laid the groundwork for today’s BJP.
Prasad also said the BJP had made electoral gains in Kerala and expressed confidence that the party would continue to expand its presence there in future elections.
Shri Vasudev Patel, general secretary of OFBJP-USA, described the outcome as “a sweet victory” and credited BJP workers and volunteers for years of grassroots efforts.
“A lot of hard work has gone into this success over many years by BJP karyakartas on the ground,” Patel said. “Today, that hard work has been rewarded by the people of India.”
Several speakers during the evening expressed appreciation for the leadership of Modi, Shah and BJP National President Shri Nitin Nabin, crediting party organization and outreach efforts for the electoral outcomes.
Community leaders and volunteers attending the celebration included Krishna Reddy Anugula, Jayesh Patel, Charan Singh, Albert Jasani, H.R. Shah, Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Piyush Patel, Gunjan Mishra, Kalpana Shukla, Deepti Jani, Vilas Jambula, Aravind Patel, Amit Pandey, Anand Gupta, Santosh Reddy, Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Pradeep Katta, Debol Gupta, Dr. Mukund Thakar, Ajay Goswami, Nilesh Dasondi, Arun Mehta, Govind Raj, Om Prakash, Arish Shah, Raj Dodamani, Kunal Joshi and Rajan Singhal.
The event concluded with dinner, the serving of jhalmuri, a traditional Bengali street snack offered in recognition of the West Bengal victory, and a ceremonial cake-cutting celebration.
