Buoyed by the success in the bypolls after a successive loss of face, the Congress on Tuesday cited bypoll results to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to shed arrogance, repeal the three farm laws and stop petrol and diesel “loot”. With a shot in the arm over winning two of the three Lok Sabha bypolls, the grand old party which has been looking for some moral enhancement for quite some time due to both external pressures and internal squabbling, it said BJP’s exit is written on the wall.
Congratulating Congress workers for the party’s victories against the BJP in the bypolls, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said they must “keep fighting hate” without fear. Reaching out to the party’s grassroots workers, Rahul said every victory for the Congress is the victory of its workers. “Every victory for the Congress is a victory of our party worker. Keep fighting hate. No fear!,” Rahul took to social media to express his delight on the party’s success.
Another Opposition party, Mamta Banerjee led Trinamool Congress made a clean sweep in West Bengal winning all the four seats where bye-elections were held. Banerjee led a massive triumph after a fierce poll battle against the BJP early this summer.
Congress won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and won all the three assembly bypolls of Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai in Himachal Pradesh. Party candidate Nagraj Meena won the Dhariawad assembly seat in Rajasthan and the Hangal assembly in Karnataka.
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told the Prime Msinister that “disdain for people’s pain is harmful”. “The BJP has lost two out of three Lok Sabha seats. In Assemblies, BJP has lost at most places in direct contest with Congress. Himachal Pradesh, Rajastan, Karnataka and Maharashtra have witnessed it,” Surjewala said at AICC Press conference.
“The constant service of people by Srinivas Mane and the immeasurable hard work of Congress workers and leaders have proved that Karnataka yearns for ‘change’,” said Surjewala.
In the just concluded assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry the party had a very dismal performance which came after murmurs within the party which involved the
formation of a group of 23 G23 leaders with senior party members expressing concern. Some of them had also voiced their concern against the leadership.