Shah backs Yogi, says will introspect on bypoll setbacks

NEW DELHI: In his first comments on the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypoll loss in Uttar Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said that the party would ‘seriously analyse’ the losses. He also fully backed the Yogi Adityanath government and mocked the Congress for its dismal performance.

Speaking at an event organised by the Zee Group, Shah said, “We take the bypoll outcome seriously.” But at a time when the Gorakhpur loss in particular is being seen as a sign of UP CM Adityanath’s personal failure, Shah put all his support behind the government.

“The BJP government under Yogi Adityanath has done a very good job in UP, be it on law and order, infrastructure development, administrative improvement, ruthless eradication of corruption, taking central government schemes down to the ground, procuring farm produce fully and transparently. It is one of our best governments,” he said.

When asked about the Congress celebrating the BJP’s loss, Shah said, “If after losing their deposit in both seats, a party celebrates, I have nothing to say.”

He said there could be many reasons for the BJP’s defeat in the bypolls. The voting percentage was low and at the same time, the SP and the BSP came together, he said.

On the SP-BSP understanding in UP, Shah said that the BJP was confident that it would be able to get more than 50% votes in the the state in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Referring to the no-confidence motion notice tabled by the YSR Congress Party and the TDP, Shah said that the BJP was willing to discuss the matter only if the House was in order.

“We are willing to take up discussion on the issue but the House is not in order. The opposition is not allowing the House to function. It clearly shows that the opposition knows it cannot win,” Shah said.

Taking a dig at the attempts of the Congress to put together an alliance of all like-minded parties against the BJP, he welcomed the move, saying it was a “good signal” for the party.

“If it happens it will be a good signal for us. It shows that all parties have to come together to take on the Modi government,” the BJP chief said.