Congress on way to becoming regional party: Ashwani Kumar

Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar on Thursday while reacting to the State Assembly election result trends in five states said that Congress's dismal performance will shrink the party down to a mere regional outfit.

New Delhi: Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar on Thursday while reacting to the State Assembly election result trends in five states said that Congress's dismal performance will shrink the party down to a mere regional outfit.

Speaking to ANI today, Ashwani Kumar, who recently quit Congress, said, "I am not happy with the plight of the Congress party but its political relevance in the future will remain negligible. The contribution of the Congress party is going to be negligible. In view of political scenarios emerging out in the country, the Congress party will remain a regional party."

He lauded the performance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab and said that the results are going to change the political landscape. "The way AAP performed in Punjab... I had said earlier that AAP's government is coming. It shows that people are tired of the established political parties. People who are dreaming of young India, and new politics," he said.

Former Union Minister Kumar further told ANI that he left the Congress party because he could not work there with dignity. "As far as the message of the people in five state Assembly results is concerned, after talking to the people, we guessed that the clear message was a need for change in Punjab and AAP was in that role. People voted for the 'Jhadu', to Arvind Kejriwal, and the work that he has done in Delhi earned him votes," he said.

Votes are being counted in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur - where assembly elections recently concluded.

ANI