Overtures to Nitish, Naidu show Cong has accepted defeat: BJP

BJP on Tuesday said the overtures made by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar showed that his party has accepted defeat in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

BJP on Tuesday said the overtures made by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar showed that his party has accepted defeat in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

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"You don't have to read between the lines to come to the conclusion that Rahul Gandhi has conceded defeat in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. He has tried to reach out to Nitish Kumar and Naidu to make up for the complete rout of his party in these two states," BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj told PTI.

During his press conference earlier in the day, Gandhi had praised Naidu and Kumar, saying, "I respect Naidu. He has done a good job...May be he focused on Hyderabad. I am not saying (only we have leaders). There are leaders who are in the opposition. Nitish for example... "

Another BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Gandhi's statement "vindicates BJP stand that UPA will emerge as a political debris post-elections, scavenging for survival".

Punj accused Congress of poaching NDA partners after the "complete disintegration of UPA and the frustration and desperation of Congress on the possible results of the on-going Lok Sabha elections."

The BJP MP also said the case against Bofors scam accused Ottavio Quottrocchi was not dead. "If it was a dead issue, where was the need for them to withdraw the Red Corner Notice at the cost of such huge political embarrassment at the time of Lok Sabha elections?" he said.