Celebrations at Cong party office after victory

MUMBAI: For the first time in four years, the mood in Congress party was upbeat and jubilant on Tuesday. Congress workers at Gandhi Bhavan, the party office in Colaba, celebrated the decisive victory of their party in the assembly polls held in five states. Enthusiastic party workers danced, burst crackers, shouted slogans, played dhol and distributed sweets to celebrate the victory of the party at Gandhi Bhavan. Hoardings and banners with congratulatory messages were put up at various points across the city.

Ashok Chavan, the president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) while addressing the gathering of party workers said it was the beginning of the downfall of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "These poll results clearly show the direction of the country's political trajectory. Congress will win the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Maharashrta state assembly polls," said Chavan. Chavan added, “Modi, machine, money have not worked in this election. The people have answered Modi’s dictatorial politics with one slogan--Modiji jaane wale hai, Rahulji aane waale hai," said Chavan.

Chavan said inflation, corruption and unemployment combined with crimes against Dalits, minorities and women have led to the failure of the BJP in all five states. The BJP had used their power to benefit only a few industrialists and not masses. People have rejected this form of nongovernance.

The same celebrations were witnessed at the official residence of Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, the leader of opposition and senior Congress leader, located opposite Mantralaya. The alliance partner of Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), welcomed the victory. Nawab Malik, the spokesperson of NCP said, “In 2014, BJP won due to the division of the secular votes. This victory proves, if all opposition parties come together, BJP can be defeated. We would like to repeat this in the forthcoming elections.”