New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) With the trends predicting a clear majority for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, Assam and Pondicherry, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi asserted that the INDIA bloc “should learn a lesson” from the mandate.

Joshi termed the results as the “biggest blessing, especially in the present context of West Bengal”.

“The INDI alliance should learn a lesson that people have given a mandate against appeasement, illegal infiltration, giving voting rights to the infiltrators and allowing them to use the resources in India,” he told reporters.

The Union Minister accused the Trinamool Congress and other India bloc parties of allowing illegal infiltrators into the country, who in turn “got engaged in terrorism and other anti-national activities”.

He said: “Because of this, today the Trinamool has been rejected by the people in West Bengal. Also, the Congress, except in Kerala, has been rejected in other states.”

“The people of West Bengal have given a clear mandate against hooliganism, rowdyism and lawlessness. The public’s mandate is for good governance and better administration,” he added.

Joshi underlined that it will be the first time in the history of West Bengal that a BJP-led government will be formed in the state.

“Congress, CPI-M and Trinamool Congress have all been rejected due to their negative approach, uncivilised behaviour, ‘goondaism’ and appeasement,” he reiterated.

As counting of votes progressed in West Bengal, the BJP maintained a commanding lead, with trends from the Election Commission of India at 7:57 p.m. showing the party having won 112 seats and ahead in 94 others.

The Trinamool Congress secured 45 seats and was leading in 36.

Referring to CPI-M’s defeat in Kerala, Joshi said: “The country has become free of communists. Now they have gone from Kerala too.”

In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA) brought an end to a decade-long rule of the CPI-M-led Left alliance.

Terming the results of the Assam Assembly polls as “historic”, Pralhad Joshi said: “Under PM Modi’s leadership, the public has witnessed the works of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. BJP is coming back to power in the state for the third time.”

According to the Union Minister, returning to power in Assam for the third time is the “biggest achievement” of the BJP.

Further, he said that though Pondicherry is a small union territory, “people have completely blessed the NDA”.

–IANS

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