Giriraj Singh taunts Congress post its debacle in assembly polls

Taking a jibe at the Congress, which was knocked out of Haryana and Maharashtra in the Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh on Monday said if the downfall of the grand old party continues in the same manner then it might have its influence in just two states.

"It has been over 60 years since India gained independence. All these days, Congress ruled the country, yet today they are happy by being in power in just eight states. If their downslide continues then they might be left with only two states," Singh told ANI here.

Commenting on the possibility of an alliance with the Shiv Sena, he said that BJP never distanced itself from Shiv Sena, although the some Shiv Sena leaders crossed their limits in their statements against the BJP.

"Prime Minister Modi has set an example by developing Gujarat during his 15-year rule, now people believe that he will do the same for the country. The people of India trust Narendra Modi: look at Maharashtra, where we have won 122 seats compared to the 46-47 seats that we used to win."

The BJP and Shiv Sena, which last governed Maharashtra together from 1995 to 1999, broke their 25-year-old alliance ahead of the assembly polls over issues of seat sharing.

In Maharashtra, the BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 122 seats, though it fell short of winning an outright majority in the 288-member house.

However, it will be interesting to see whether the BJP decides to ally with its estranged partner Shiv Sena for government formation in the state.