Mumbai: Despite the BJP’s resounding wins in the assembly polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) has refused to attribute the saffron party’s success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the credit for BJP’s triumph goes to (local leaders) Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhara Raje respectively, said senior Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. He also blamed the MP Congress leader Kamal Nath for the defeat of Congress in the elections.
“Kamal Nath is responsible for the defeat in Madhya Pradesh, even though individuals like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were actively campaigning. It was he who opposed the idea of sharing seats with the Samajwadi Party during elections. If the Congress had fought the elections along with the INDIA bloc parties, the result would have been different,” Raut said.
The Rajya Sabha MP said that Chauhan’s public image also played a vital role in the poll outcome. “The MP CM came up with schemes that directly benefit the women before the elections, these things are useful for them,” he said.
Raut said the election results carry a valuable lesson, emphasising that the opposition INDIA bloc should fight collectively in upcoming elections.
“The Congress should rethink its strategy and its approach towards the allies. State parties cannot be ignored any longer. One cannot do politics by ignoring local parties,” he said.
The senior Sena (UBT) leader said that a meeting of the INDIA bloc has been called on December 6 and at the meeting, many things including the election results will be discussed. "India Alliance is strong. The way Team India won 10 consecutive matches during the World Cup but lost the final match, similar will be the fate of the BJP in the 2024 elections,” he added.
