Congress today came in for sharp criticism from ally NCP over the alliance’s defeat in Gujarat elections, with Union Minister Praful Patel demanding a review of the reasons for the loss.
Patel also praised Chief Minister Narendra Modi for leading BJP to victory through good work and people’s trust in
him.
In Gujarat, we had a tie-up with Congress in order to avoid division of secular votes. However, the ally put up
candidates in all the seats NCP contested.
A review should be done to find out who is responsible for the defeat in Gujarat,” Patel said, addressing party workers here.
We made sacrifice in order to avoid split in secular votes. But the way our Big Brother and big partner behaved and
we say Modi has won and secularism has lost, we should introspect the reason for defeat,” he said.
NCP had contested nine seats in the assembly elections and its candidate won in two.
Ideologically, we are with Congress and will continue to be with them. But there is nothing wrong with thinking
about our growth,” he said.
Modi, who powered BJP to an emphatic victory in Gujarat,received praise from Patel, NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s
confidant.
Modi was successful in gaining trust of the people.
Modiwon due to the work he has done,” he said.
We live in Delhi. We know that there are two-three leaders who enjoy respect of the people. And Pawar saheb is
one of them. There are a lot of developments you will see in future in the country and in politics,” he said, adding the era of single-party rule has ended.
From this office, let us make efforts to put Pawar saheb in a bigger place,” he said.
NCP leader Tariq Anwar, attending his first party meeting here after becoming Union minister, referred to senior Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi’s “invitation” to Sharad Pawar to join NDA. “One should take note when even the enemy praises you,” he said.
——–PTI