It is 'not open skies' for Modi: Cong

Despite its fifth straight loss in Gujarat, Congress on Thursday asserted that the grand old party was the “real gainer” in the current round of elections as it wrested Himachal Pradesh from the BJP.

Two Congress ministers in the UPA Government at the Centre – finance minister P Chidambaram and minister of state for information and broadcasting Manish Tiwari – insisted that Congress was the “real winner.”

According to Chidambaram, “the real winner in Gujarat is the Congress…It is true that the BJP has won in the sense that it will form the government…But the real winner is the Congress, which (is set to win) more seats than in 2007. It is the Congress message that has attracted more voters.”

Tiwari remarked that while BJP retained Gujarat, it lost Himachal to Congress. This meant, Congress was the gainer in the current round of elections in the two states.

Chidambaram, who reacted while BJP appeared unable to reach the 2007 figure of 117 seats, which eventually it failed to, said “it is the BJP base that has shrunk, even if it has shrunk only a little.”

Tiwari said Congress has won in all the six seats in Gujarat where party leader Rahul Gandhi campaigned.

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal said: "As far as Gujarat was concerned, this was supposed to be a runaway win for Modi. What happened was there was a 3D campaign and the result is only 2D. But the manner in which they (BJP) said that they will win 150-140 seats in Gujarat, I feel that has not happened.”

Parliamentary Affairs minister Kamal Nath remarked: “In Gujarat, BJP had made tall claims that it will get 150 seats and that there will be a wave in its favour. But it has now been proved that Congress has emerged stronger and BJP is weak now.”

Although the Congress leaders conceded defeat in Gujarat, the party said it was "not open skies" for Chief Minister Narendra Modi, nursing national ambitions. External affairs minister Salman Khurshid noted: “This Gujarat election proves that it’s not open skies for chief minister Narendra Modi."