NEW DELHI: With the major drubbing in Bihar, where the Mahagathbandhan partners have been reduced to 33 seats, the Congress on Saturday dubbed the results “unbelievable,” saying even alliance partners do not believe them. The Congress leadership also spoke to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, and other alliance partners to discuss the poll results.
Following the defeat, the Congress reduced to only six seats, just two seats more than its worst-ever performance in 2010 called a meeting of senior leaders at the residence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also attended the meeting after his return from abroad, along with senior leaders including party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, Bihar screening committee chairman Ajay Maken, Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, and media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera.
The meeting at Kharge’s residence lasted for over an hour, during which the Congress chief and Rahul Gandhi dialled Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, VIP chief Mukesh Sahni, as well as leaders of Left parties to discuss the results. After the meeting, LoP Rahul Gandhi left Kharge’s residence without speaking to the media.
However, Venugopal and Maken spoke to reporters and termed the Bihar Assembly results “unbelievable,” questioning the transparency of the polls. Venugopal said, “The result that has come from Bihar is unbelievable for all of us”. The Congress leader added that neither the Congress nor the people of Bihar nor their alliance partners could believe the outcome. He said the party had also raised questions over the BJP’s 90 per cent strike rate in the polls. “We are analysing the data, and we will collect all the Form 16 and Form 17 records. We will come out with concrete proof in one or two weeks”. “We will provide concrete proof… The Election Commission is totally one-sided. This process is questionable,” Venugopal alleged.
