Election results 2023: National Conference Vice President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern about the future of INDIA bloc after the Congress manged to secure only one out of the four states in Assembly elections. Abdullah said that if the situation continues to be like this in future, the opposition alliance will not be able to win the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Notably, the Congress is set to lose power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Madhya Pradesh, the party's attempt to wrest power from the BJP appeared to have failed, according to counting trends. However, Congress has only been able to consolidate Telangana. This three-one score in the polls not only solidified the BJP's position regionally but also set the stage and influenced the political atmosphere for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Here's what Omar Abdullah said on BJP's victory
Speaking to the reporters, Abdullah said, "Looking at the results of INDIA alliance in the state elections, if the situation is like this in the future, we cannot win." He further said that the Congress' claims in the state elections proved baseless as the party was only able to win Telangana.
The Jammu and Kashmir leader said that the BJP need to be congratulated as this is not what the opposition leaders were expecting. "We have to congratulate the BJP now because we were not expecting this. We were hearing that the Congress would easily win Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. They said that in Rajasthan too they will lead at the end. But after the results, all the claims proved to be baseless."
Omar Abdullah on BJP's foothold in Madhya Pradesh
He said that in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath was the Chief Minister for a short time, but leaving that aside, for around 20 years BJP was in power. "This is BJP's fifth term. This is huge," he added.
Speaking on the performance of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Abdullah said that the Congress should have given some seats to its INDIA bloc partner, Samajwadi Party to contest. "Either the Congress has not been able to understand the ground situation in Madhya Pradesh. What harm could have happened if they had given 5-7 seats to Akhilesh Yadav. What storm could have blown? What have they won now? The results are in front of everyone now," he said.
