Left parties lash out at Cong for BJP win

New Delhi: After BJP swept the Gujarat polls on Sunday, Left parties on Sunday asked the main opposition party, the Congress, to properly analyse the election results and draw appropriate lessons.

The top leaders of the CPI and CPI(M) told UNI that they foresaw a serious problem erupting in the Sangh Parivar as ''Moditva'' and Chief Minister Narendra Modi's ''larger than life image'' was projected in the whole campaign and the saffron party's national leadership was absent there.

CPI leaders A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi said, first of all, the practice adopted by the Congress, banking upon the BJP's rebels, was totally wrong.

''The results from Saurashtra clearly show that the BJP followers have not voted for the BJP dissidents contesting on the Congress symbol. They have rather voted with a vengeance for the BJP. It has improved its position than what it had gained in 2002.''

CPI(M) senior leader Nilotpal Basu, while admitting the failure of the secular forces in winning over of the majority of the people in Gujarat polls, however, denied that the BJP's win in the state would have any impact on the national political scenario.

Bardhan, party General Secretary and veteran freedom fighter, said the Congress, of course, had gained some seats in central Gujarat but it was primarily due to disenchantment of the tribals and better percentage polling in the minority dominated area.

In Ahmedabad, the Congress had been successful in retaining minority dominated seats of Jamalpur and Kalupur. It had also snatched the Shahpur and the Seharkotla seats from the BJP.

''But the urban areas continued to be with 'Moditva' even while in Ahmedabad, the minority dominated seats of Jamalpur and Kalupur have been lost by the BJP.''

Faizi, party National Secretary, said, the Congress should learn for all times to come that the rebels from the communal party (BJP) could never attract the votes to its side.

''It is particularly important in the context of Maharashtra where the Congress is recklessly admitting deserters of the Shiv Sena. Counterfeit communalism can never win over the real communalism of Modi brand,'' said Faizi.

He said the BJP should really be worried that its slogans of ''India Shining'' and projecting L K Advani as the ''Loh Purush'' could not attract votes as it is identified with rabid communalism.

Modi may appear to be a better vote catcher than pseudo-liberals like

Advani.

Basu said the slogan of Gujarat Asmita (pride) would not sell beyond the frontiers of Gujarat but reminded the Congress about its series of defeats in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and now in Gujarat.

It can regain its position only by identifying itself with the aam admi and taking up the real socio-economic issues, he added.