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BJP's strategy to make India 'Congress Free' will never happen: Kharge

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ANI New Delhi [India]

After accepting their crushing defeat in the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assembly polls, the grand old party asserted that it is natural for a political party to face losses, however, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will never fulfill its dream to rid the Congress from the nation for good.

"It's natural for a political party to face ups and downs. But I'm at a loss to understand what drove the people of Uttar Pradesh to make such a one-sided decision. If BJP thinks that they can make this country Congress free, then there are wrong with such thought. No one has the power to do so," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI.

 

Reacting to the Congress's catastrophic loss in Uttar Pradesh, Kharge added that the party will analyse the results to figure out how it could possibly lose in such large numbers.

"It's wrong to blame Rahul Gandhi for the defeat of SP-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi's leadership is pivotal and the party would suffer a heavy loss without it. I don't understand why the people of Uttar Pradesh have voted for the BJP. The party will analyse the reasons for the loss soon," said Kharge.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vow to make the country 'Congress-free', he commented that only the people of the nation can make such a thing happen.

"In a democracy, any party can be decimated by the combined will of the people, not by the heroic words of any leader. Modi's strategy might have worked in Uttar Pradesh, but it cannot be replicated in Karnataka which is going to the polls next year. We will take all necessary measures to rectify our mistakes and do our best to re-elect a Congress government in Karnataka," added Kharge.

The Congress party made a resounding comeback in Punjab after a gap of a decade, with 77 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

While, the BJP has bagged two-third majority in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The BJP won with a clear majority in Uttarakhand with 57 seats in a 70-member assembly, ousting the Congress led by chief minister Harish Rawat and in Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party saw an unprecedented victory with 321 seats, while the Congress-Samajwadi party alliance bagged 54, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got 19 and others 18.

After the Congress failing to score on its alliance with the Samajwadi Party, vice-president Rahul Gandhi said their fight to win people's heart would continue. Gandhi said in a series of tweets, "Our fight continues and will not end till we win the hearts & minds of people."

"To all Congress workers across India: We stand resolute & committed to our values & our belief in an India united in strength & purpose. I thank everyone in Punjab for their immense faith and support. This is a mandate for a brighter future for Punjab and it's youth," said Rahul Gandhi.

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First Published: Mar 12 2017 | 6:34 AM IST

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