Maharashtra, Haryana polls: BJP upbeat ahead of results, says opposition marred by infighting

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], Oct 22 (ANI): Post exit poll projections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership is a confident lot as they feel that the party is on its way to retain its governments in both Maharashtra and Haryana.
Speaking to ANI, Haryana in charge and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stated that exit polls are somewhat matching BJP's pre-polls assessment that it will return to power with over two-third majority.
"BJP has been saying that we are contesting elections on the issue of development and performance of our incumbent governments. Maharashtra government performance was excellent and Haryana got a corruption-free and honest government after a long time," Tomar said.
"Haryana residents have forgotten that there is a quality called honesty in the government and BJP had to gain from its honest image. Voters are getting aware and voting for Narendra Modi and for Nation," Tomar added.
The results for the Assembly polls will be declared on October 24, while the polling for the two states took place on Monday.
The senior minister also claimed that the BJP did not have a viable competitor in these polls. "People have voted on issues of policies, performance and principles. They rose above narrow-minded politics of caste and voted for BJP. Opposition was not even a factor," he said.
Pointing towards this lack of concerted opposition efforts in these polls, he said, "On different seats, we faced competition from different parties. On some Jannayak Janata Party gave us competition, whereas on the others INLD and Congress candidates posed a challenge."
The senior leader outrightly rejected claims by former chief minister and Congress leader BS Hooda that the Congress was forming the government with an absolute majority.
"Hooda ji ka jijaji prem poore Haryana ko maloom hai. (Everyone in Haryana knows Hooda's love for his brother-in-law), " he added.
Talking about position of opposition in the polls, Rattan Lal Kataria, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, who hails from Haryana, said, "If you add zero to the earlier performance of zero, you will a zero. If you say it a better performance, then so be it. And even Congress will lose seats. I am from Ambala Lok Sabha constituency. My Lok Sabha has seen hattrick. All 9 Assembly seats have come to BJP and I can assure you even this fourth time, we will get all 9 seats."
Kataria thinks the many top leaders of Opposition barring one or two had joined BJP ahead of polls.
"We want a strong opposition in democratic setup, but opposition was marred by its internal feud," stated the minister. (ANI)