Buoyed by RS results, Congress says 'democracy has won'

Party leader P L Punia alleges BJP used money power and unfair means, but its efforts to buy MLAs failed

Buoyed by victory of its candidates in Rajya Sabha biennial polls despite Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 'hurdles', the Congress Party on Sunday said its success proves that 'democracy has won'.

"Our candidates were nominated for Rajya Sabha but the BJP used money power and unfair means, but all their efforts to buy the MLAs have failed and democracy has won," Congress leader P L Punia told ANI.

"No matter how hard the BJP tries to place hurdles and conspires to break (Congress MLAs). The Congress MLAs will always remain loyal are to the party," he added.

Punia also asserted that in a democracy, the voice of the people is most important, adding that the Congress party follows it.

"The people will never encourage those who use money power. In democracy, voice of the people is most important, and Congress follows it," he added.

The Congress leader further said all these parties trying to communalise the society will fail adding that the Congress ideology will prevail.

Meanwhile, another Congress leader Salman Khursid also alleged the BJP of using money power and administration to turn the battle on its side.

"After every two years these elections come and this time the BJP tried its best to turn the battle on its side, and it is the right of everyone to try their best, but the use of money in the procedure and using the administration against the opposition will destroy the laid structure," he said.

"Our MLAs were arrested in Jharkhand before they could vote and the money was also used in other states," he added.

Khurshid also said the political parties should sit and discuss the situation, so that the political environment is not polluted.

The Congress won six seats in the Rajya Sabha polls and the BJP-led alliance made significant gains with 12 seats in the biennial elections marked by cross-voting and a dramatic rejection of votes for a 'wrong pen'.

The other major gainer in the elections held for 27 seats across seven states include the Samajwadi Party which won seven seats in Uttar Pradesh. The Bahujan Samaj Party won two.

Out of the 58 seats that fell vacant in the Upper House this summer, the NDA has now won 23, improving upon the 18 seats it held earlier. The Congress, which held 15 of these seats, now has nine.