"Should do serious introspection": CPI's D Raja on Congress' Haryana polls performance

New Delhi [India], October 8 : Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja said on Tuesday that INDIA bloc and specifically Congress should do "serious introspection" after the Haryana election results were announced, and also questioned why the bloc's parties could not trust each other during the seat sharing discussion before the election.
"The INDIA bloc political parties would have to do serious introspection, why there was no mutual trust between each other, why no mutual accommodation at the time of seat sharing arrangement. Congress primarily should do serious introspection, on why they failed to bring all other political parties which came together under INDIA bloc," D Raja told ANI.
He claimed that despite Congress' promises, several parties which were part of the INDIA bloc could not be accommodated during the seat sharing discussions.
"Congress would have to review and think over their own strategies and tactics at the time of seat sharing and arrangements in Haryana, otherwise the results would have been different. They have to do self-critical analysis. Several INDIA bloc parties could not be accommodated when the question of seat sharing came up, despite certain promises given by the party here and there. Otherwise the results would have been different," he added.
He also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had taken advantage of caste affiliations, and divisions among the INDIA bloc parties.
He claimed, "BJP took advantage of many factors, like caste affiliations, caste based divisions and they managed to take advantage of divisions among the India bloc political parties. They managed, otherwise in Haryana there could have been a change in government and BJP could have been defeated hands down. Why it did not happen?"
When asked about the remarks of Haryana BJP President Mohan Lal Badoli claiming that the party would stay in power in Haryana till 2047, D Raja said, "It is tall claim made by BJP leadership, even Modi keeps speaking about the same thing, 2047, because they have nothing to speak on 1947, they had no role in the freedom struggle, they had no role in laying the foundation for the modern India which we are witnessing today, so now they have started as if history has started with them so they keep talking about 2047, but people cannot be taken for granted, the Indian people have their own experience, they have seen different rules, so let us wait and see."
Earlier, BJP state president Badoli had told ANI, "BJP will stay in power in Haryana till 2047. Haryana will become a 'Viksit' state. The public of the nation is satisfied with the development works of the BJP. Nayab Singh Saini will take the oath as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time."
On the results of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, the CPI general secretary said that people have rejected the BJP because of their "disastrous policies" in the region.
"People have rejected the BJP because of their disastrous policies towards Jammu and Kashmir. Then Farooq Abdullah being the senior leader, he could bring all secular democratic forces together and stood firm, committed in defence of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, there people voted in favour of him. Despite that BJP has managed to win 27-28 seats, it will be a matter of concern on how things are going to develop, one has to wait and see," he said.
The vote counting for the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections concluded earlier today.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference won 42 seats, Congress won 6 seats, with the pre poll alliance having a count of 48 seats to pass the majority mark in the assembly. BJP won 29 seats in the J&K Assembly, PDP won 3 and independent candidates secured 7 seats.
In Haryana BJP won 48 seats in the 90 member assembly to be the single largest party in the state. Congress secured 37 seats, INLD won 2 and independent candidates won 3 seats in the elections.