After a drubbing in the MCD polls where it came distant third after the BJP and the AAP, the Congress today pitched for opposition unity, saying the regional parties should realise that "blind anti-Congressism" will not work.
Randeep Surjewala, the chief spokesperson of the Congress, said the parties must put the country first in the "battle of ideologies", remarks which come in the backdrop of attempts by leaders like JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to rally anti-BJP forces to stop the saffron juggernaut.
"Hope all regional parties will now realise that blind anti-Congressism is not the way. Country must come first in the battle of ideologies," Surjewala said on twitter.
Party spokesperson Ajoy Kumar reiterated the sentiment and said at the AICC briefing that regional parties need to work together to save the idea of India and what it stands for.
"Regional parties indulging in anti-Conrgessism need to relook at their 'idea of India'. There is a fight between two ideologies, one that believes in discussing what people should do, eat or wear and the other that believes in taking along all sections of society.
"To save the country, it is important to save the idea of India and what it stands for," he said.
Kumar also complimented Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken for his efforts at improving the party's vote share from nine per cent to 21 per cent in the civic polls, after the BJP staged a stupendous victory and bagged 181 of the total 270 seats in three MCDs.
The Congress got 30 while the AAP scored win in 48 wards.
Congratulating the BJP, Kumar hoped it will give a new MCD which is free from corruption and is development-oriented.
He also said there was need for introspection within the Congress party.
"We will introspect on the reasons for the defeat. However, we have traversed a successful journey from 2015 assembly polls," he said.
AICC incharge of Delhi P C Chacko, who along with Maken resigned after the defeat, also called for instrospection as the party failed to encash on the anti-incumbency against BJP in MCD and the AAP in Delhi government.
Surjewala congratulated the BJP for its emphatic victory in Delhi MCD elections, in which Congress has been relegated to the third spot, and hoped it will work for a clean, corruption-free and development driven Delhi.
Lauding the Congress workers for the increase in the vote share in Delhi, he said the party will work hard for a new narrative.
"Congrats to BJP for winning MCD. Thank Congress workers for increase in vote share from 9.6 pc to 20 pc. Will work hard for a new narrative. Hope BJP will now work for a clean, disease free, corruption free, development driven Delhi, unlike in past 10
years of its MCD rule," he said in a series of tweets.
The BJP scored a landslide victory in MCD polls, decimating the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, and grabbed majority in all three municipal corporations of Delhi.
(With PTI inputs)
