Wind is behind sails of INDIA bloc: P Chidambaram on by-poll results

Following the INDIA blocs emphatic performance in the recently concluded bypolls in seven states senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram expressed confidence on Sunday that the wind is behind the sails of the INDIA bloc reported news agency ANIIn an interview with ANI P Chidambaram said that the byelections indicate that the mood of the people is against the Bharatiya Janata Party BJPThe byelections show that the mood of the people is against the BJP But where the structure of the Congress party is weak Im afraid that the mood alone would not help We have to work in states where the structure of the party is weak he said reported ANIBut by and large the wind is behind the sails of the INDIA bloc he added reportedOut of the bypolls conducted in 13 assembly constituencies across seven states the INDIA bloc emerged victorious with 10 seats while the BJP settled for two seats and an independent candidate bagged one seatAssembly bypolls were held in Himachal Pradeshs Hamirpur Nalagarh and Dehra West Bengals Raiganj Ranaghat Dakshin Bagda and Maniktala Badrinath and Manglaur in Uttarakhand Jalandhar West in Punjab Rupauli in Bihar Vikravandi in Tamil Nadu and Amarwara in Madhya Pradesh reportedThe INDIA bloc parties that fielded candidates in 13 assembly constituencies are the Trinamool Congress TMC the Congress the Aam Aadmi Party AAP and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK reportedIn Himachal Pradesh the Congress bagged two seats Nalagarh and Dehra while the BJP managed to win one seatHamirpur the ruling TMC in West Bengal swept all four seats the Congress bagged both of the seats in Uttarakhand AAP secured the lone seat in Punjab the DMK won the lone seat in Tamil Nadu the BJP bagged the lone seat in Madhya Pradesh whereas the independent candidate won the lone seat in BiharMeanwhile Congress MP P Chidambaram also spoke about the central governments announcement to observe Savidhan Hatya Diwas on June 25 to mark the anniversary of the emergency which was imposed in 1975 under the Indira Gandhiled Congress government reportedWhy is the BJP not going back to the 18th or 17th century 75 per cent of the Indians living today were born after 1975 Emergency was a mistake and it was accepted by Indira Gandhi We have amended the Constitution so that an emergency cannot be imposed so easily said Chidambaram reportedHe further asked whats the point of debating over the rights and wrongs of the emergency 50 years later while stressing that lessons have been learned from the pastWhat is the point of debating the rights and wrongs of the emergency 50 years later The BJP must forget the past We have learned the lessons from the past he said reportedEarlier this month the central government led by the National Democratic Alliance NDA announced to observe Samvidhan Hatya Diwas to mark the anniversary of the emergency The decision has triggered a backlash with opposition parties targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modis governmentThe Emergency of 1975 in India stands as a stark chapter in the nations history marked by widespread political turmoil and civil liberties suppression Declared by thenPrime Minister Indira Gandhi the Emergency saw the suspension of fundamental rights and the imposition of strict censorship aiming to quell political dissent and maintain orderWith inputs from ANI