MIM, BJP provoked people with religious sentiments to gain votes in GHMC: Congress

After the debacle of Congress in GHMC election this year, Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy said that MIM, BJP provoked people with religious sentiments to gain votes.

Hyderabad: Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy on Saturday claimed that MIM and BJP provoked people with religious sentiments for votes in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.

Reddy said, "I would like to thank all the party workers and people who have voted for Congress and had faith in us. Unfortunately, we could not get the expected results. MIM and BJP provoked people with religious sentiments and got votes."

"On the other hand, the Chief Minister provoked that something was going to happen like riots in Hyderabad and tried to take advantage of it," Reddy added.

Emotions can benefit temporarily but, are not conducive to well-being and development, Reddy further stated.

"Even if we could not achieve the expected results theoretically we won. We will discuss the defeat internally in the party. Congress workers need not worry. These are only temporary results," he added.

BJP made major gains in GHMC polls as it won 48 seats, seven less than the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which emerged as the single largest party winning 55 seats.

The TRS won fewer seats than it won in the 2016 elections when it had won a majority in the elections to GHMC.

The strong performance by BJP came on the heels of its victory last month in the Dubbak assembly seat. The party had wrested the seat from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

The GHMC results have been declared on 149 of 150 seats with results in the Neredmet division held. Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM won 44 seats and Congress two seats.

(ANI)