BJP meets to analyse election drubbing

Top leaders of Rajasthan's ruling BJP gathered here on Friday to analyse why the party lost both the Lok Sabha seats of Ajmer and Alwar and the Assembly seat of Mandalgarh to the Congress.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, met at the party headquarters.

Also present were the BJP's state in-charge Chandrashekhar, BJP state President Ashok Parnami and other party leaders.

A BJP source said that besides reviewing the reasons for its defeat, the meeting also plans to chalk out a comprehensive strategy for Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

Party sources said BJP President Amit Shah had spoken to some Rajasthan leaders to get their feedback on the reasons for the BJP's huge defeats.

"There are chances of the party leadership in the state being changed," a source said.

In the last four years the BJP has governed Rajasthan, there were eight by-elections, out of which the BJP could win only two.

The by-elections in Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh were held on January 29 following the death of its BJP MPs and BJP MLA. The results were declared on Thursday. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress did not win a single seat from Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was in New Delhi on Friday, apparently to meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Congress sources said.

Once he returns to the state, the party will start chalking out a strategy for the upcoming Assembly ensuing polls, they said.

The sources said Rahul Gandhi had congratulated Gehlot on the Congress.

Priyanka Gandhi also praised Gehlot on her Facebook page: "Gehlot was correct in his analysis of the people. He already said it would be a one-sided game this time."

--IANS

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