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'BJP MP told me…I had laughed': Omar Abdullah on Congress's Chhattisgarh defeat
Congress lost all three Hindi heartland states – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan – that went to polls in November.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has advised the Congress party to introspect and analyze the reasons behind its recent electoral setbacks in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Responding to a question on unconfirmed reports of Congress likely to approach the Supreme Court, Abdullah dismissed such ideas and stressed the importance of understanding the ground realities that led to the defeats.
Speaking to the media, Abdullah said, “Elections are like that, you win some and you lose some. You can't only be satisfied with the elections that you win. You must also be ready to accept defeat”.
“Congress has lost in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and instead of going to the Supreme Court, they need to analyze the reasons because some people saw the writing on the wall earlier,” he said, pointing out the need for political foresight in gauging the sentiments of the electorate.
Abdullah revealed that a member of Parliament from the BJP had accurately predicted the party's victory in Chhattisgarh two months prior, which Congress failed to gauge.
"I have an MP - a BJP friend - who, two months ago told me that BJP is winning in Chhattisgarh. I had laughed...When he knew it, why did the Congress not know?" questioned Abdullah.
The National Conference leader urged the Congress to learn from such instances and focus on internal assessments to avoid similar pitfalls in the future. "Forget the Supreme Court, prepare for Parliament Elections," he advised.
The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Sunday, inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress's dismal performance is also seen as a setback to INDIA bloc which has been formed to take on the Modi juggernaut in general elections.
