New Delhi: The Congress cannot “defeat PM Modi”, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said, urging the grand old party to join hands with secular parties to keep the BJP from winning the upcoming elections in Maharashtra. “You have to take everyone along to defeat Modi. You will not be able to do anything alone,” he said.
The AIMIM president also took a swipe at the Congress over its poor show in Haryana. He said that ‘secular’ parties used to blame him for causing a split in anti-BJP votes in elections, but how did Congress lose in Haryana though the AIMIM did not field candidates?
“How did they (BJP) win (Haryana)? I was not there. Otherwise, they would have said ‘B Team’… They lost there. Now, you tell me, they lost because of whom? Sherwani toh yaha nahi aaye?,” he said, addressing a public meeting at Vikarabad in Telangana on Friday night.
“I would like to tell the old party. Understand what I am saying. You have to take everyone along to defeat Modi. You will not be able to do anything alone,” he said.
Defying all exit polls, which predicted a Congress sweep in Haryana, the BJP clawed back to clinch a stunning hat-trick win in Haryana, overcoming anti-incumbency and dashing Congress’ hopes of a comeback. The saffron party ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress. The JJP and AAP were decimated and the INLD managed to win just two seats.
The Congress, reacting to his party’s unexpected loss, complained of irregularities in EVMs from several assembly constituencies. The Congress has demanded recounting on 20 assembly seats in Haryana.
While the BJP has not announced its next Chief Minister officially, it had indicated during the assembly election that Nayab Singh Saini will be its choice for the top post if the party won. Saini had replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as Haryana Chief Minister in March and was instrumental in helping the party win the recent assembly elections. An OBC leader, Saini was BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from the Kurukshetra constituency in Haryana before becoming the CM.
