New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday termed the Bihar Assembly election results “truly shocking”, alleging that the Mahagathbandhan fought an election that was “not fair from the very beginning”.
In a statement issued hours after the NDA stormed past the 200-seat mark, Gandhi thanked millions of Bihar voters who backed the Opposition alliance and vowed to intensify the battle for protecting the Constitution and democracy.
“The outcome in Bihar is indeed shocking. We could not win an election that was unequal from day one,” Gandhi said, adding that this was a fight to safeguard constitutional values. He assured that the Congress and the INDIA bloc would undertake a thorough review of the results to make future efforts “more effective”.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed similar sentiments, saying the Congress respects the people’s verdict but will continue its struggle against forces that “misuse constitutional institutions to weaken democracy”. Kharge promised a detailed analysis of the factors behind the debacle and urged party workers not to feel disheartened, calling them the “pride and strength” of the Congress.
Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui announced that his party would hold a meeting on Saturday to introspect on shortcomings and reasons for the crushing defeat.