BJP thanks people, accuses Cong of communalising Guj polls

With the election results pointing towards a convincing victory for Narendra Modi in Gujarat, party president Nitin Gadkari thanked the people of Gujarat for the success.

"Gujarat has given preference to the politics of development and the (BJP) government has in the country enhanced its prestige as a role model. The people of Gujarat have again chosen BJP under Narendra bhai for the development of the state," Gadkari said.

Gadkari accused the Congress of trying to play the communal card and said that all sections of the people had voted for the BJP.

"The Congress tried to communalise the elections but all sections of the society contributed to the BJP victory for which I thank the people of Gujarat," Gadkari said.

...

As results poured in from Gujarat, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the Congress was a winner there also as it has been able to contain the BJP in the state.

"Congress has won in Himachal Pradesh. In Gujarat too, I think Congress is a winner. Congress has gained several seats and BJP has been contained, the last numbers that I saw, (it was) below 117. If the BJP does not cross 117 and Congress has improved its tally, Congress is a clear winner in Gujarat too," he told reporters.

On the victory of BJP in the polls, he said, "That was expected. The government and the bureaucracy there has a stranglehold over the system. That is a general perception there."

...

"The important point is that the kind of sweeping victory was being predicted is not there. The fact is BJP has been contained below the number it had last time and Congress has improved its tally, even if marginally, it shows that the exaggerated claims made by the BJP are not correct," the finance minister said.

On suggestions that the results in Gujarat could be an indicator for the 2014 general elections, Chidambaram said, "We are not thinking on the lines of the 2014 elections. That is still some 16 months away."

On the Gujarat poll outcome, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said the verdict has shown that people who were against Modi are against him and those with him are with him.

"Both Shakti (Singh Gohil) and Arjun (Modvadia) have not produced the kind of results which we had hoped. We will certainly look into this," he said.

...

Faced with a certain defeat in Gujarat, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said exit poll results and pre-poll predictions gave Chief Minister Narendra Modi a natural advantage in the assembly elections.

"I have been saying this, the nature of the media in our country is such that Modi has complete control of the media in a sense and support of the media," Sibal told reporters outside Parliament premises.

"The kind of exit polls results and pre-poll predictions gave him a natural advantage in this election," he said.

On Modi's winning streak in Gujarat, Sibal said the results were not as spectacular as the media had predicted.

"As far as Gujarat is concerned, this was supposed to be a runaway win for Modi. What happened was there was a 3D campaign and the result is only 2D. But the manner in which they said that they will win 150-140 seats in Gujarat, I feel that has not happened," he said.

Sibal said in Gujarat the people who were opposed to Modi remain opposed to him.

"But, this much is true, we should congratulate Modi for his win. He has managed to get 2D results through his 3D campaign," he said.

...

On Modi being projected as prime ministerial candidate, Sibal said, "BJP will decide. It is a multi-brand party. There are many contenders. They will decide which brand to take forward."

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Modi was restricted to only one state whereas Rahul Gandhi had a pan-India appeal.

"Why be threatened of Modi when the entire BJP leadership could not threaten us," Khurshid shot back when asked whether the Congress felt threatened by Modi.

...