With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning four out of five states in the 2022 Assembly elections, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, the Shiv Sena on Thursday, 10 March, commented that the BJP should learn to digest success, attributing its performance in the Assembly polls to good election management.
On its unsatisfactory performance in Goa, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh, the Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut expressed that the party garnered less votes than NOTA (none of the above) because Shiv Sena fell "short of the notes" that the BJP used.
"It is right that the Sena received less votes than NOTA because we could not manage the notes used by the BJP. Still we contested in Goa and Uttar Pradesh. Our fight will continue. Victory or defeat is not the end, it is the start. In the future, we will continue to work," the Sena leader said.
"It is easy to digest failure, but the BJP should learn to digest success. (Only) some people can digest success," the Rajya Sabha MP added.
Most Concerning Issue is Punjab: Shiv Sena
Raut also took a jibe at the BJP over its dismal performance in Punjab elections, where the party lost to AAP (Aam Aadmi Party).
"What success did the BJP, a national party with Modi-Shah at its face, achieve in Punjab?" he asked.
"The PM, Home Minister, Defence Minister, everyone campaigned tremendously in Punjab, then why did you lose in Punjab? UP, Uttarakhand, Goa was yours already, which is fine. But, you have lost more in Punjab as compared to Congress & Shiv Sena in UP," the Shiv Sena leader added.
Saying that his party members are a part of BJP's happiness, he continued, "BJP has won in four states, we don't have anything to be upset about, we're a part of your happiness."
'Owaisi, Mayawati Should be Given Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratna for Contributing to BJP's Win'
"BJP achieved a great victory. UP was their state, still, Akhilesh Yadav's seats have increased three times, from 42 to over 125. Mayawati and Owaisi have contributed to BJP's win, so they must be given Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratna," Raut told ANI.
He asked why BJP's Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami lost, despite the party faring well in the state. Two CMs also lost in Goa, he added. "Most concerning issue is Punjab; a nationalist party like BJP has been rejected completely in Punjab," Raut took a jibe at the leading party.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)
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