Hailing BJP’s performance in the Karnataka Assembly elections, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Tuesday said that since 1996 the party has been marching forward and today 70 per cent of the states are ruled by the BJP and its allies, while the Congress has been shrunk to only 2.5 per cent of the population.
Addressing party workers at the BJP office in Panchkula near here, the Chief Minister said initially, during the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP Government came to power at the Centre under an agreement for 13 days. It lasted for 13 months and later for four-and-a-half years, said he.
At this pace, the party continued its journey and today, BJP and its allies are ruling in 21 states. If we look at the history of the BJP and the strength it had gained today, Congress never gained such strength, he added.
The BJP, which won only 40 seats in 2013, has emerged as the single largest party by establishing a lead in 104 seats out of 224 in Karnataka Assembly. The ruling Congress, which had won 122 seats in 2013, managed to win 78 seats.
Hitting out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Manohar lal also said the Congress should change its name to Punjab-Puducherry-Parivar Party because now it is ruling only 2.5 per cent of the population. Until the Congress Party is under the national leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Congress can never succeed, he added.
Referring to the willingness expressed by Rahul Gandhi to be Prime Ministerial candidate, the Chief Minister said he should leave this wish for 2019 as well as for 2024 elections. The era of alliance has come to an end and the alliance struck by the BSP and the INlD in Haryana is unnatural and has no meaning, he said.
The Chief Minister further said the BJP should maintain this zeal, enthusiasm and faith, and with this trust, we should get ready for the elections to be held at the Centre in May, 2019, and in Haryana in October, 2019.