Failed to bring people`s anger against BJP to boot

Congress suffered a rout in the Gujarat bye-elections.

Ahmedabad: After Congress` rout in the Gujarat bye-elections, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Arjun Modhwadia on Wednesday said the party failed to bring people`s anger against the ruling BJP in the state to the polling booths.

In a blow to Congress, BJP today swept the by-polls winning two Lok Sabha and four Assembly seats in Gujarat.

"We accept the people`s verdict...Congress hasn`t been sucessfull in the by-elections. All I want to say is that we failed to bring the anger of people against the BJP rule to polling booths," GPCC Chief Arjun Modhwadia told reporters.

"During the campaign for bye-elections, people`s anger against the ruling BJP was palpable on issues like water scarcity, illegal mining, hike in electricity tariffs adversely impacting the farmers," he said.

Lashing out at BJP rule, Modhwadia said they have already hiked electricity tariff by 0.37 paise per unit and another 70 paisa hike could be in offing, post the elections now.

He also alleged that BJP had blatantly misused the state machinery for `gains` in the bye-elections.

All the six seats - 2 Lok Sabha and 4 Assembly - for which the results were declared today were previously with Congress.

In an endorsement of Modi`s popularity in state, BJP won the Porbandar and Banaskantha Lok Sabha and Limbadi, Morva Hadaf, Jetpur and Dhoraji assembly seats, all of which were held by Congress.

After the debacle in the by-elections, Congress Chief said that the trends could not be compared with what the people desired in Gujarat.

PTI

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