Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.
Credit: PTI
Chennai: Congratulating his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar for the “decisive” victory in the assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday had a word of advice for his I.N.D.I.A. bloc colleagues.
He told them subtly to concede defeat in the high-stakes election even as he asserted that the polls do not “whitewash the misdeeds and reckless actions” of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Stalin’s message to his colleagues was that election outcomes reflect welfare delivery, social and ideological coalitions, clear political messaging, and dedicated poll management until the last vote is polled. Though Stalin appreciated RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav for his “tireless campaign”, his statement indirectly conveys that the Opposition bloc may have lacked cohesion and strong messaging despite raising several critical issued like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“I congratulate veteran leader Nitish Kumar for his decisive victory and wish him well in fulfilling the expectations of the people of Bihar...The leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc are seasoned politicians capable of reading the message and planning strategically to address emerging challenges,” Stalin said.
The result of this election does not whitewash the misdeeds and reckless actions of the ECI. “The reputation of the ECI is at its lowest point. The citizens of this country deserve a stronger and more impartial Election Commission, whose conduct of polls should inspire confidence even among those who do not win,” he added.
The I.N.D.I.A. bloc in Bihar suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the NDA led by Nitish Kumar which scored a landslide. Stalin had participated in one of the rallies that the RJD-Congress organised to protest against SIR in Bihar.