Dented In Haryana, Denied In Maharashtra

The BJP is not unbeatable, P Chidambaram said (File)

New Delhi:

After the Congress-JMM-RJD alliance scored a big win in the Jharkhand Assembly election on Monday, former Union Minister P Chidambaram took a swipe at the BJP.

“Dented in Haryana, Denied in Maharashtra, Defeated in Jharkhand. That is the story of the BJP in 2019. All non-BJP parties must raise their sights and rally around the Congress to save the Constitution of India,” he tweeted, after trends suggested that the alliance will cross the majority mark in the 81-seat assembly.

Dented in Haryana,
Denied in Maharashtra,
Defeated in Jharkhand.

That is the story of the BJP in 2019.

All non-BJP parties must raise their sights and rally around the Congress to save the Constitution of India.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 23, 2019

The BJP, which had got a clear majority in the Haryana election in 2014, had to take support from debutante Dushyant Chautala to form government. In Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis had taken oath as Chief Minister, but had to resign after failing to muster enough numbers; the Shiv Sena then formed government in alliance with Sharad Pawar’s NCP and the Congress.

Two years ago the BJP nearly controlled 70 per cent of the states. The party, however, has lost Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and now Jharkhand.

Mr Chidambaram, who was released on bail earlier this month after spending 106 days in jail in the INX media case, attended the DMK’s rally against the citizenship law in Chennai, and said the BJP is not unbeatable.

“The BJP is not unbeatable. If all opposition parties rally together and understand the dangers faced by the country and come together; surely the BJP can be defeated and the BJP will be defeated in future elections also,” he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

In Jharkhand, the JMM has won 30 seats and the Congress 15. The alliance is ahead in 12 other seats while the BJP is trailing with 25.

The BJP has conceded its defeat. “The party respects the mandate of the people of Jharkhand,” BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted.