Panaji (Goa) Chief minister Manohar Parrikar today taunted Congress President Rahul Gandhi over Gujarat election results claiming that “he scored zero in his opening inning.”
Parrikar also said that the election results in the states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh indicates that the BJP is going to win the 2019 lok sabha elections.
“Opening inning zero,” was what Parrikar commented when asked about Rahul Gandhi’s performance for the elections in both the states, the results of which were announced today.
Soon after the elections were announced, Goa BJP sent the congratulatory message to their counterparts in Gujarat and HP.
“It is a confirmation of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and formation of next government (in centre). We will also ensure that BJP will handsomely win in Karnataka,” Parrikar said.
“Prime Minister has his magic. The prime minister is pushing the party ahead. He is one leader who has higher popularity than the party votes there. Obviously, the leader pulls up the party,” he said responding to a question whether PM’s campaign helped the party retain Gujarat.
“Reverse is the case with Rahul Gandhi. His popularity is lower than the party,” he commented.
Parrikar said that there were speculations about results in Gujarat but the results have indicated that “there is connectivity between the Prime minister and Gujaratis.”
In Gujarat, he said, all the forces had come together including Hardik Patel and they had launched joint campaign to defame BJP and the PM. “But people of Gujarat knows that an apple is apple,” he said adding that despite the anti-incumbency factor, BJP has successfully won in Gujarat.
Parrikar said that at some places there was an attempt to defame BJP, which was countered by the party through systematic campaign.
He admitted that there was impact in Saurashtra region over the votes of BJP. “There is bound to have anti incumbency factor after 22 years of rule,” the chief minister said.
Analyzing the results, he said BJP has managed to increase its vote share by one per cent while Congress has managed to snatch 4-5 per cent of the votes from other parties.
He also ruled out that the implementation of GST had any impact on the vote share of the BJP in Gujarat.
