Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of 'usurping' power

Breaking his silence on the defeat in three northeast states, Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Congress was committed to winning back the people's trust and hit out at the BJP, accusing it of "usurping" power through proxy in Meghalaya and using "big money" to create an "opportunistic alliance". "The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya," Gandhi said on Twitter two days after results of assembly elections were declared.

The Congress lost Meghalaya, though it emerged as the single largest party, and failed to open its account in Tripura and Nagaland. The Congress chief alleged that the BJP is "obsessed" with "grabbing" power and has shown "utter disregard" to the mandate of people in Meghalaya. Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath were rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties in a bid to form a government but to no avail. "We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. "My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party," the Congress president tweeted after his return from Italy, where he had gone to meet his 93-year-old grandmother.

The Congress emerged as the single-largest party in the state winning 21 seats, but failed to cobble up a coalition with other regional outfits. Meghalaya had been under Congress rule and after losing the state, the party is now in power in three other states, including Karnataka where elections are slated next month, and Puducherry. "With just 2 seats, the BJP has usurped power in Meghalaya, through a proxy. "Like in Manipur and Goa, showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people. Obsessed instead with grabbing power, using big money to create an opportunistic alliance," Gandhi tweeted. He also used the hashtag "DemocracyDemonetised" with his tweet to target the BJP.

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