Rahul Gandhi's growing popularity increased Cong votes in Haryana: Udit Raj

New Delhi, Oct 9 : Congress leader Udit Raj on Wednesday responded to remarks on Rahul Gandhi's decreasing popularity after the Haryana election results and said the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had gained popularity which caused the party's vote share to increase by ten per cent.

"Where is the decrease? Our vote share in Haryana increased by 10 per cent. It was a neck-to-neck fight, and this rise in votes shows that Rahul Gandhi's popularity has grown," said the Congress leader

He further added that unfortunately, some parties within the INDIA bloc were speaking in a way that aligns with the "psychological pressure created by Prime Minister Modi."

The BJP on Tuesday marked a stunning win in Haryana overcoming anti-incumbency and hindering the Congress' hopes of a comeback in the state.

On PM Modi's statement that the Congress, even after 100 years in power, would not be able to help Dalits, Udit Raj countered, "The Congress has always worked for the betterment of Dalits."

He claimed that since PM Modi came to power, jobs have vanished in the country and education has been privatised.

"It was the Congress that introduced quotas in petrol pumps, kerosene, and panchayats. The party had implemented special recruitment drives and nationalised Public Sector Undertakings and banks which created several employment opportunities in the country. Now, PM Modi is undoing the progress that the Congress made for Dalits," he said.

Regarding the opinion that an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Haryana would have led the Congress to victory, Udit Raj dismissed the idea, stating, "There’s nothing like that. The AAP barely got one per cent of the votes in Haryana. The fact is there was manipulation and dishonesty in the process. The AAP’s standing is clear — they didn’t win a single MLA seat, and their candidates lost."

The results of the Haryana Assembly elections were announced on Tuesday, with the BJP returning to power in the state for the third-consecutive time, winning 48 seats in the 90-member house.

However, Congress came second with 37 seats, and the Indian National Lok Dal won two. Three independents were also elected.