BJP Downplays Bypoll Losses Amid Local Election Dynamics

Following BJP's underwhelming performance in bypolls, MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy emphasized the local nature of such elections and dismissed broader implications. He also highlighted upcoming party meetings and ongoing infrastructure projects in Bihar. The opposition's reaction to bypoll results was framed as expected political maneuvering.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party won only two out of thirteen seats in the bypoll legislative assembly elections held across seven states, party MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy emphasized the localized nature of these elections. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Rudy asserted, "The Vidhan Sabha elections are held at the local level and the issues are local. Recently, the NDA has got a good majority in the country. We cannot deduce anything from elections at the local level, that too in one or two seats."

In response to Congress leader Pawan Khera's remarks that people have given a strong message to the BJP for the second time in one and a half months, Rudy said that opposition parties naturally take advantage of bypoll results following their recent Lok Sabha election loss. "This is not a message. Just now, they lost the elections. So it is natural for them to take advantage of such results. But people do not support them," Rudy stated.

Commenting on an upcoming BJP meeting in Bihar after the bypoll results, Rudy clarified, "In Bihar, the meeting was already scheduled before the election results. We cannot call that a strategy meeting. This is a routine Bharatiya Janata Party program. It is not right to read so much into this." On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on employment data from the Reserve Bank of India, Rudy remarked, "The Prime Minister is leading the country with full speed. On the 23rd, the Budget will be announced. You can see how we lead this country in the next five years. The role of the opposition is negative. The path that we have taken is appropriate for the country."

Addressing recent bridge collapses in Bihar, Rudy highlighted state efforts to clean rivers and reconstruct old bridges. "The bridges that are being discussed are in my district. Most of them were built by the British. The Bihar government has started a big scheme to clean up rivers. The work has already started. The rivers which come out from hilly areas, especially the Gandaki River on which two bridges have collapsed, have been cleaned at a preliminary level. The Bihar government is working on reconstructing old bridges. The work of construction of new bridges will commence soon," he explained.

Over the past few days, the state has seen the collapse of at least 10 bridges, raising concerns about infrastructure safety and maintenance.

(With inputs from agencies.)