Buoyed by the Himachal Pradesh outcome, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said the result has nailed the BJP's propaganda of a 'so-called Hindutva wave' sweeping the country after the Gujarat victory.
"The result has proved that the so-called Hindutva wave is not working as they had said and hoped. This is a matter of great satisfaction," Sonia Gandhi told reporters at her 10, Janpath residence where jubilant supporters greeted her for the party's victory.
She thanked the people, especially those in the four states which went to polls, saying the electors had shown that Congress was the 'only truly representative all India party'.
"Your support moves us to greater heights; your vote continues to remind us of our awesome responsibilities and debt to this great country and its great people. We pledge to serve you and redeem our tryst with you," an AICC statement
said.
Declaring that the new Congress government in the hill state would fulfil all the promises made by the party in the election campaign, a visibly happy Sonia Gandhi said her party would adopt the 'same strategy' in the assembly elections in other states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, slated for later this year.
She dismissed the charge that the Congress had adopted a 'soft Hindutva' line in the Gujarat poll.
"This is an accusation thrown at us by the BJP. It is not true."
She did not give a direct answer to whether the Congress would align with Sharad Pawar-led NCP in Meghalaya, where it has emerged as the single largest party.
On the loss of the Gauriganj seat in Uttar Pradesh, which forms part of her Amethi parliamentary constituency, Sonia said the Congress did not have much hope about the constituency given the fact that the party had won it with a slender margin.
"There is no use hiding or pretending" about the party's condition in the state, she said suggesting that the Congress would have to work really hard in the politically crucial state.
She expressed satisfaction with the showing in the Sattankulam assembly bypoll in Tamil Nadu, where the Congress candidate emerged as the runner-up.
Soon as the results started trickling in, Congress activists began pouring in at 10, Janpath beating drums and distributing sweets celebrating the party's success.
