The Congress made a vain attempt to claim to have won in States where it has been conclusively defeated, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said in Hubballi on Sunday.
“Even today, I have not understood why KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar rushed to Goa and some Congress observers went to Uttarakhand even before the results were announced. Does it mean that the Congress leaders over estimated their chances in those States? Why did the party try to claim that it won in States where it has been conclusively defeated?” he said.
“Did Mr. Shivakumar go there to show his muscle power? Did he want to unleash his goondagiri even there also?’’ he asked. Mr. Joshi was speaking to journalists at the Hubballi airport.
“While Mr. Shivakumar was dispatched to Goa, the Congress high command sent 13 observers to Uttarakhand. What was the purpose behind that? Did the Congress think of elections as a wrestling match? What was it preparing for? Was it trying to engineer defections?” he asked.
He criticised Rahul Gandhi’s leadership of the party and said that he will destroy the party. Mahatma Gandhi termed Congress as a political movement and preferred its dissolution after Independence. “I am happy that Rahul Gandhi is following that advice,” Mr. Joshi said.
The Union Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserved the credit for the BJP’s victory in the State elections. “I was overwhelmed by the support and regard that people have for Mr. Modi. His four visits to Uttarakhand led to our victory. We organised 80,000 meetings in that State,” said Mr. Joshi, who was among the party leaders in-charge of Uttarakhand.
He said that the BJP suffered in Punjab as it was the junior partner of the Shiromani Akali Dal. “That is why we suffered a setback. However, we will focus on the next elections and start working from now itself,” he said.
He said that a discussion on Cabinet expansion in the State will start after the end of the budget session. The session ends on April 8. After that, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will go to Delhi to meet party leaders. Any change will happen only after that and not before, he said.
He said that the rescue of 22,000 students from Ukraine was made possible by Mr. Modi who spoke to leaders of Russia and Ukraine and helped resolve some issues related to the rescue operation.
Mr. Joshi’s supporters took him in a procession from the airport to his house, saying that he had contributed to the party’s success in the recent state elections.
