Congress must talk about status of INDIA bloc, says Shiv Sena (UBT)

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The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday said the Congress must talk about the status of the INDIA bloc and should have addressed questions about the opposition alliance in the party's recent meeting in Ahmedabad, reported news agency PTI.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena (UBT) pointed out that the Congress only spoke about itself in the Ahmedabad meet, and INDIA or Bharat was nowhere in the discussion.

"Questions are being raised about where the INDIA bloc stands after the Lok Sabha election. The Congress needed to address this in its Ahmedabad session," the editorial said, reported PTI.

"What happened to the alliance? Did it get buried in the ground or vanish into thin air? The responsibility to answer this question lies with the Congress president," it said, reported PTI.

The Congress held its session on April 8-9 in Gujarat, where it has been out of power for two decades. Senior Congress leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, addressed party workers.

The Sena (UBT) also sought to know the Congress's stand for the Bihar, Gujarat and West Bengal state polls. "Or will the party again welcome defeat?" it asked, reported PTI.

In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal is a senior partner, while in Gujarat and West Bengal, INDIA partners, the Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress, will also be in the fray.

"The Congress held its session in Gujarat but this did not yield any success in the state in the Lok Sabha polls, as the party won one seat in the western state after 2014," the Sena UBT said, reported PTI.

It said the Congress needs to make efforts in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. While the party met with success in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha polls, it suffered a humiliating defeat in the state assembly polls.

"The scams of the BJP are as much responsible for this loss as the internal issues of the Congress. It has to deliberate on this," the editorial added.

The Congress has to take the lead in fighting dictatorship, the Sena (UBT) said.

Referring to the Delhi assembly polls, where the AAP and Congress faced defeat, the Sena (UBT) said some Congress leaders thought the road was clear for the party in the national capital, reported PTI.

If Congress uses this strategy of contesting against the INDIA bloc partners in other states, it will only help the BJP, it said, reported PTI.

"We have to defeat the BJP and not our friends," the party said.

The Sena UBT said an alliance between the Congress and AAP would have proved beneficial.

(With inputs from PTI)