BJP downplays defeat in Kota bypoll

Bilaspur, Dec 7 (UNI) Seeking to downplay the BJP's defeat in the Kota bypoll, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said the poll outcome was not a ''referendum'' on the performance of his government.

The poll result coincides with the Raman Singh government completing three years in office today.

Admitting the faulty public distribution system (PDS) was one of the issues that may have caused the defeat, he said his government would analyse the reasons for the BJP defeat.

Pointing out that Kota constituency had been a traditional stronghold of the Congress, the Chief Minister said the Congress had been continuously winning in all the elections held since 1952.

''We came to power for five years, defeating Congress and Mr Jogi's government. Now two more years are left for the next elections,'' he said adding, ''We will make all efforts to address the problems.'' Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) President Charan Das Mahant said the BJP had lost its moral right to continue in power as its crushing defeat in the by-election had brought to focus its failures in governance.

Mr Mahant, however, denied that the CPCC and other senior leaders had opposed Ms Renu Jogi's candidature saying they had favoured that the son of late Mr Rajendra Prasad Shukla, who had represented the constituency, be fielded.

Asked whether these leaders now accept the leadership of former chief minister Mr Ajit Jogi, the CPCC President evaded a direct reply saying ''leaders like Mr Motilal Vora and Mr Shyama Charan Shukla were also former chief ministers. Congress will work under collective leadership of its leaders''.

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