Don't Feel Depressed Over By-election Reverses: Amit Shah to BJP Workers

Bidar, Karnataka: Putting up a brave front after a setback in by-elections, BJP President Amit Shah today asked party workers not to feel depressed and said they would win upcoming Assembly polls in four states with a thumping majority and move ahead with its "Congress-free India" agenda.

As the BJP smarted under the electoral blow losing 13 of the 23 Assembly seats it held, Mr Shah said "some election results have come. Opposition is feeling overwhelmed. They feel that something very good has happened as at a few places BJP has been defeated; but they can't see that we have opened our account in Assam, they can't see we have won in Bengal."

The BJP suffered reverses in its strongholds in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat just four months after its spectacular Lok Sabha victory in what was considered a test of popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Friends don't measure these by-election results. There are elections in four states. You will see BJP will win elections in these states with a thumping majority and our agenda of Congress-free India will move forward," Mr Shah said.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel and a martyrs' memorial at Gorta village in Bidar district on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.

The memorial is in honour of about 200 villagers who were massacred by the private army of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1948 and to mark liberation of Hyderabad-Karnataka from the Nizam's rule. It was also on September 17 that Hyderabad was liberated from Nizam's rule and merged with the Indian Union.

Mr Shah, who was credited for his role in the BJP's stupendous win in Uttar Pradesh in Lok Sabha polls, said, "I want to tell all BJP workers across the country that don't feel depressed from these by-election results. Work with full strength in the upcoming elections in four states and I'm sure BJP will form government in these states."

"Maharashtra and Haryana elections are on October 15, counting is on October 19, I want to tell all my party workers for victory celebrations on October 19," Mr Shah said.