Difficult for BJP to repeat its 2019 performance: Shashi Tharoor
Mumbai, Feb 23: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said it would be difficult for the Bharatiya Janata Party to repeat its electoral performance of 2019 as it has already peaked in many states, and there would be only a "downward slide" in the coming elections.
The 'complacency' of the BJP is the opposition's strength, he claimed.
Tharoor was speaking at ABP Network's Ideas of India' Summit 3.0 on 'Collaborative Federalism: View of the States'.
Participating in the session, BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said the target for his party in the coming Lok Sabha polls was 370 seats.
"They seem to think it is already a done deal and it isn't," Tharoor said, adding that there was a great deal of skepticism about whether the BJP would be able to come anywhere close to what it was projecting.
"They peaked in 2019. We are going to see nothing but a downward slide. How much downhill that is going to be depends on how effective the opposition campaign is, which is just picking up," the Congress leader said.
In 2019, the BJP did "too well" across the Hindi heartland where it is strong, he said, noting that it won every seat in Haryana, Rajasthan, all but one seat in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, and a large number of seats in West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar.
The saffron party's tally in the Lok Sabha rose to 303 in 2019.
"All of this is not going to happen this time because it is impossible for them to repeat those numbers," Tharoor claimed.
The percentage of the BJP's votes may rise, but even if there is enthusiasm after the Ram Mandir consecration in Ayodhya, there are no more seats left to win in any of these places, and the story will vary from state to state, he said.
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Centre must roll back LPG price hike, says Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the recent steep hike in LPG prices, alleging that it has severely impacted common people and small businesses.
In a statement, Vijayan described the increase as "one of the most cruel" in the history of cooking gas price revisions, saying it has pushed ordinary households and entrepreneurs into distress.
He said the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been raised by Rs 993 in one go, crossing Rs 3,000, which would adversely affect the hotel and restaurant sector.
The hike in the price of 5-kg LPG cylinders by Rs 251.50 would hit migrant workers and small families who depend on them, he added.
The chief minister alleged that the hike came immediately after the conclusion of Assembly elections in states, placing an additional burden on common people, small-scale entrepreneurs and migrant labourers.
Pointing to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Vijayan said the hospitality sector has already been facing a shortage of cooking gas for months and the latest price increase would be difficult to absorb.
The burden would ultimately be passed on to consumers, he said, warning that several small establishments, including those in Kerala, could be forced to shut down.
Accusing oil companies of prioritising profits over public welfare, he said such a trend of imposing additional financial burden on people cannot be accepted.
Vijayan also alleged that the Centre's policies favour corporate interests and called for a correction in approach.
He urged the Union government to withdraw the excessive hike without delay.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on May 1, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
